Joanna Newsom-'Divers' album review (2015)

(Originally published in Autumn 2015 for Thank Folk for That magazine)

Skipping merrily through enchanted Disney forests and riding merry go rounds are all images that popped up listening to the song Anecdotes by Joanna Newsom.It was clear from the start the album would be a strange experience.

Anecdotes was the opening song to Newsom's fourth studio album Divers which dropped on 23rd October 2015.Initially I hated it.At first her throaty crooning had me scrabbling for the pause button in discomfort,although at moments her sugar sweet falsetto notes were eerily similar to Kate Bush's.At points,the songstress' vocals brought me down to the depths of a 1940s blues lounge,adorned with her plethora of quirky trills and runs.Other times I became lost and confused in a tangle of tumultuous,jaunty piano riffs, crescendos and never ending string of lyrics.

Joanna's ultra mature writing style resembles a true archaic folk song,rich with imagery and colourful stories.However,often the traditional style of writing and storytelling becomes overly puzzling on lines such as “found unlimited simlucreage to colonise”.Despite this,the stand out track on Divers has to be The things I say.The synths that swell towards the end are haunting,effortlessly bringing out the delicateness in her tone.Along with that,an awesome melancholy creeps in,creating the most amazing chills.Divers,all in all was intriguing and an incredibly creative approach to folk music but a really bizzare listening experience!

(Image: Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images and Angela Hsieh/NPR)