Joanna Newsom

Add Date: October 27 

Artist: Joanna Newsom 

Album: Divers 

Label: Drag City 

Genre: Folk, orchestral

Comments: Divers marks the triumphant return of harpist/songwriter/Thomas Pynchon film adaptation narrator Joanna Newsom. It's been five years since her last studio release -- to be fair, at least she left us with a triple album, Have One on Me -- but Newsom is at her finest on this new collection of her trademark avant-orchestral-folk-pop. Many friends tag along for the ride: Dirty Projectors mastermind Dave Longstreth and composer Nico Muhly provide arrangements; performing musicians include longtime collaborator Neal Morgan and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra; Noah Georgeson is back as producer, with recording from the legendary Steve Albini; heck, even Paul Thomas Anderson has followed up their Inherent Vice connection by directing videos for "Sapokanikan" and the title track.

Credits aside, though, Newsom has a musical vision that's as close to unique as one can find. Yes, there's the harp, which would be enough to set her aside from 99.9 percent of modern folk artists. Yet while several songs are sparse, featuring little more than Newsom's vocals and heavenly strumming, overall the instrumentation on Divers is rich, with piano, clavichord, Mellotron, keyboards, and more accenting the beautiful arrangements. The lyrical content is as inventive as ever, with songs about romances, battles, artists, and, yes, divers from decades and centuries past. And the voice -- well, suffice it to say it's another calling card for the multi-talented Newsom. Let's hope that we don't have to again wait five long years for more. 

Recommended Tracks: 2, 3, 11, 9, 1, 7 

DNP: none