[Yasss!] Joanna Newsom Returns With "Sapokanikan"

Darn tootin, I almost missed this new release from the sublime Joanna Newsom. Thank the stars for the front page over at YouTube!

Taken from the Diva's October-due album, Divers, Sapokanikan is a bright and lithe piece of music that finds her still insistent on delivering wordy pieces. If you're unfamiliar with this Marmite-esque Diva, prepare to be assaulted by lyrics that tumble forward, almost relentlessly, for five minutes straight. With this familiarity there is also novelty, though, with the Diva playing more than ever with range and harmony to convey the narrative. The resulting mesh is one that is as invigorating as it is thought provoking. (I almost feel smarter just for having been in its presence!)

[New Music] Joanna Newsom Covers "The North Star Grassman and the Ravens"

You do not know how much I need another Joanna Newsom record in my life right now. Almost as if to tease me, the quirky songstress has released a cover of The North Star Grassman and the Ravens , by Sandy Denny to help promote something or other [Read more about what here]. Yeah, I admit I hadn't heard of the original before this, but  I'll definitely be looking out for more from Sandy Denny as a result.

Simply Joanna and her harp, this cover transports me back to when I first heard this magical artist. Initially her "unique" voice took a little getting used to- it's a cross between a witch and a young child(!)- but the whole process was made a lot smoother and speedier by the immediate beauty of her harp playing. Since then, I can't get enough of the wonderful Ms. Newton.

Top Five Criminally Ignored Diva Albums of 2010:

This list has been a long time coming- yes I'm aware its practically 2012- but it's only now that I've found the time to finish this post. So FINALLY I present to you a list of my 5 most unappreciated Diva albums of 2010!

Honourable mention: 

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas II You: Mariah Carey just scraped into the list with the December release of her second Christmas album Merry II Christmas. This album heralded, for me, the true return of "The Voice", the same voice that the Emancipation album promised but only kind of delivered.

Glorious voice, a return of the vibrato, stunning live instrumentation, the birth of new Christmas classics in the form of When Christmas Comes and Christmas Time is in the Air, and to top it all off a duet with Mariah's opera singing mother, Patricia Carey meant that this album deserved an honourable mention on the list! Please God, let the next Mariah Carey secular album use this one as a reference point vocally.

Palette Cleanser for the Auditory system: Joanna Newsom "En gallop"

For those times you find current, popular music blurring into one big, loud, mess of sound, I recommend you take a moment to bring yourself back to your musical equilibrium by listening to something that is borne from creativity and self expression and not the pressures of recording a hit. Enter the harp,piano ,harpsichord and Lord knows what else playing, Joanna Newsom and her beautiful song En gallop.

Her music is not initially as easy to digest as the highly processed music we've all gotten used to- and quite frankly still love- but trust me, a bit of Newsom is needed every now and then to maintain musical sanity. Give her a go, you will not be disappointed.