ALBUM REVIEW: Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me

Folk music, which has developed since its birth in the 19th century as traditional folklore, has been used to describe the traditions, customs and culture of the average citizen with raw, unkempt vocals and minimal instruments, usually a simple guitar or piano. Recently, folk music has gained popularity and fusion genres such as electric-folk and pop-folk have emerged, at times causing our definition of the genre to become cloudy and bereft with computerized instruments and auto-tune. Joanna Newsom is a fresh breath of air amongst a class of musicians that no longer write their own material or play their own instruments. The California-bred songstress has been classically trained in harp, guitar and piano since she was a toddler and released her first EP at the tender age of 20.

Joanna Newsom’s third full-length album ‘Have One On Me’, was recently released on February 23rd to enthusiastic reviews. In the beginning of January, her record company, Drag City slowly built anticipation for the three-part album by posting a cryptic blog that held a web link entitled, “The noose… um,  draws closer;” that link led to a comic strip entitled Joanna Newsom “Have one on Me” and dated March 23, 2010. Upon further investigation and with the help of a few hints, music-lovers were pleased to find out that those clues were none other than the title and date of Newsom’s newest release. In the following weeks, Drag City released a couple of singles from her promising forthcoming album, which only continued to build expectations and fueled impatience.

Needless to say, the album was well worth the wait and surpassed all of the expectations that we had for the young singer/songwriter. Newsom creates a special brand of folk with her new album, a sound that conjures images of open plains, lush orchards and rolling hills. In fact, the Newsom has stated that while recording this album in Japan of 2009 she did have her home state, California, on her mind. The album, which includes an eight-minute ode entitled, “In California,” promises to be what Ray Charles music served as for Georgia, a both iconic and regional anthem. Though ‘Have One on Me’ was released in February, the singer’s chirping voice and imaginative lyrics combined with her aptitude for guitar and piano have created what is sure to be one of the best albums of the year.

Did you catch Newsom’s performance at the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles?  Tell us about it!