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Joanna Newsom and her incredibly annoying voice |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 90,767
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Joanna Newsom and her incredibly annoying voice
For years, I've been reading reviews of her music. They were positive, sometimes extremely positive. It seemed what she did was unusual too. Harp. Medieval. I might like that. Unusual voice. Sure, why not? I was intrigued, but I'm not sure I'd ever heard any of her songs. So when I noticed she was on Later with Jools Holland last night, I was keen to watch.
![]() I mean ![]() Why on earth is she singing like that? It was like a very annoying version of Kate Bush or Elizabeth Fraser. There isn't a video of that performance yet on Youtube, but here's an earlier example: Joanna Newsom - The Book of Right-ON (Jools Holland) I'm starting to wonder whether a lot of her popularity might be down to the opportunity she gives to feel superior to the poor, benighted people who don't "get it" and whose musical taste is too unsophisticated to appreciate her supposed wonderfulness. Still, it's not always so extreme. For example, here she is sounding very like early Kate Bush: Joanna Newsom - Soft as Chalk - Live at Les Bouffes du Nord (Paris 15-01-2011) I could like that. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,255
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I must admit I really, really liked Ys which is admittedly an acquired taste. I'm not sure that matters. I have never - ever - seen the UK music charts in as dismal a state as they are now. The recent BBC4 documentary Music For Misfits shows that we used to celebrate weirdness in this country. And that often made for some wonderful music. It still can....
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,545
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Well I like it, she's refreshing. I love that track on first listen too.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Jul 2010
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Quote:
I'm starting to wonder whether a lot of her popularity might be down to the opportunity she gives to feel superior to the poor, benighted people who don't "get it" and whose musical taste is too unsophisticated to appreciate her supposed wonderfulness.
She just likes to use her voice in a different way, so what? |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: In England
Posts: 4,349
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her voice is okay, it's different at least. YS was good but was also one of those albums that made you think you didn't need a second by the same artist. Her songs can be a bit shapeless and the harp can seriously piss you off after a while, but she's ploughing her own furrow and you can't knock that
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#6 |
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,277
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I adore Joanna Newsom. Have one on me is my favourite album of all time.
Yes her voice is unusual but definitely for myself. I LOVE HER |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Station Eleven
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She's very talented but her self-consciously quirky vocal affectation grates on me so much I can't listen to her music. Kate Bush did it better, but even then she didn't sing like that all the time.
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#8 |
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Quote:
Kate Bush did it better, but even then she didn't sing like that all the time.
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#9 |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Quote:
She's very talented but her self-consciously quirky vocal affectation grates on me so much I can't listen to her music. Kate Bush did it better, but even then she didn't sing like that all the time.
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#10 |
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Join Date: Jul 2014
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Quote:
Why do you think it's self-conscious? Joanna Newsom's voice is certainly not for everyone but I've always thought that it's her natural expression. She just has an unusual voice, partly because she's not a natural singer (seen by how she has to contort her face to reach some of the notes). I actually find Kate Bush more affected and annoying sometimes because you know the vocal "quirkiness" is being wilfully added. Also, I think Newsom's voice can sound very impressive so it would be a shame if there are people out there who have written her off quickly as someone they wouldn't like without listening to her albums first.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Because that's how she chooses to sing. The way she pronounces words is often like how an adult will talk to a baby. It's more exaggerated in some performances than others. It's worse in her earliest ones. That said, I listened to Divers from her new album yesterday and I really liked it.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Dec 2001
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Saw her live yesterday and her voice is really not an issue. She is a superb musician, both on harp and piano, and she has such a warm, self-effacing manner that the audience is completely captivated. Half way into the set, after she finished singing Emily, the applause was like you'd get at the end of a gig - it went on for several minutes and even then, that didn't seem like enough.
A great show. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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Quote:
For years, I've been reading reviews of her music. They were positive, sometimes extremely positive. It seemed what she did was unusual too. Harp. Medieval. I might like that. Unusual voice. Sure, why not? I was intrigued, but I'm not sure I'd ever heard any of her songs. So when I noticed she was on Later with Jools Holland last night, I was keen to watch.
![]() I mean ![]() Why on earth is she singing like that? It was like a very annoying version of Kate Bush or Elizabeth Fraser. There isn't a video of that performance yet on Youtube, but here's an earlier example: Joanna Newsom - The Book of Right-ON (Jools Holland) Mind you, it's typical of the 'wacky' rubbish that pads out that programme.
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Mind you, it's typical of the 'wacky' rubbish that pads out that programme.