Few artists have carved their own creative niche free from the constraints of modern music quite like Joanna Newsom. The San Francisco-based artist first gained recognition with 2004's "Milk-Eyed Mender," an album that based itself in folk songs but buried conventions in unique harp arrangements and a child-like voice. However, that album was merely a warm-up for the fleshed out masterpiece of this year's "Ys." With help from three of the greatest living producers (Van Dyke Parks, Jim O'Rourke and Steve Albini), Newsom has crafted an album where her songs can fully develop with astonishing string flourishes and lyrical passages.
Since its release last Tuesday, "Ys" has received great critical acclaim, including a score of 92 on metacritic.com, a site that compiles all of a given album's reviews. While a stunning success on record, it would be a test to see if Newsom could recreate the mostly 10-plus minute songs on "Ys" and intricate harp-playing in a live setting while keeping the crowd interested.
Newsom played a surprisingly sold-out show Saturday at the Black Cat. She appeared on stage alone in a pseudo-medieval outfit and humbly introduced herself before sitting next to a monstrous harp. While she was hardly visible from this perch, the show did not suffer much because of it. She opened with "Bridges and Balloons" from "Milk-Eyed Mender" and her voice was astonishing from the first second it resounded through the room. She sounded even more alive than on the record, as did her harp, despite occasional squeaks. After playing one other track from "Mender" ("Book of Right On"), as well as a traditional Scottish folk song, Newsom's band joined her on stage. When each member was introduced along with the five or six instruments they each would play, including a saw and a glockenspiel, it appeared the audience would be in for a treat.
The band broke into "Ys"'s opening track, "Emily," and it became known that they would perform the new album in its entirety. Newsom's voice dazzled as the songs developed quite fully, and it was difficult not to become engulfed in their otherworldly nature. All five of the album's songs appeared in order and were played with intense passion and care. Newsom would alternate between violently attacking her harp and gently stroking it, while always managing to appear entranced.
The audience reacted with extreme approval and at times it was hard to see a person who didn't have his or her eyes closed allowing the music to soak in. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly "Sawdust and Diamonds." This song opens with the line, "through the top of the flight, through the wide, white stairs, through the rest of my life, do you wait for me there?" and never decreases in intensity. Newsom's tale of a lover's death reached a level of emotional resonance that the Black Cat rarely sees and it was exciting for all involved.
The other track that hit hard was album-ender "Cosmia." Like most of the songs, it consisted of a lot of lyrical imagery and was long-winded. However, Newsom let loose the most on this track and even erupted into shrieks a handful of times. The final two minutes of this song were based on various intonations of the word desire; it was a fitting end to the show. While some appeared lost and even left early, a majority of the audience seemed converted and willing to put in the work to appreciate Newsom's experimentation.
