Those of us who have wished for an original voice in the world of acoustic music might want to be careful what we wish for. Joanna Newsom is, in fact, an original voice, with all that the phrase implies. She plays a harp (influenced more by West African music, she says, than classical or western folk music), writes quirky, engaging tunes and is known to cover Jimi Hendrix at her live performances.
She rsquo;s also an original voice in that she sounds, well, like Carol Kane rsquo;s Simka on ldquo;Taxi, rdquo; which is to say that for many mdash;even her staunchest fans mdash;getting past the na i ve-sounding high-pitched strain of her voice is a major hurdle. Those of us who made that leap with her first full-length disc, The Milk-Eyed Mender , find Newsom rsquo;s sound haunting and dreamy, filled with the sort of tunes that stalk the subconscious. The lyrics are infused with fresh narrative imagery steeped in Celtic storytelling tradition and freshened with contemporary poetics.
Though her voice is often described as childlike, her songwriting is anything but. Talking Heads rsquo; David Byrne describes the songs on her new disc, Ys , as ldquo;little novels. rdquo; An additional hurdle on Ys (pronounced ldquo;ees rdquo;) is that it is a 55-minute suite of five myth-influenced songs.
Newsom rsquo;s harp is complemented by orchestral arrangements that sometimes fight with the beauty of her instrument instead of augmenting it. The good news is that the orchestra will be absent when Newsom brings her harp to Toad rsquo;s Place Nov. 15.
She will be accompanied by a band with traditional instruments, including bouzouki, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and accordion. Toad rsquo;s Place might seem an odd setting for a mystical, dreamy harp player, but Newsom has street cred with the indie rock set (her songs have been covered by such bands as The Decemberists) and she was discovered by Will Oldham, a.k.
a. Bonnie ldquo;Prince rdquo; Billy, himself a purveyor of dark, haunting tunes. Drag City Records labelmate P.
G. Six, a.k.
a. Pat Gubler, the opening act, is a kindred spirit. Affiliated with the ldquo;new rdquo; folk collective Tower Recordings, Gubler writes gentle tunes influenced by Brit folkies of yore like The Incredible String Band and Richard Thompson with a delicate ear and expert accompaniment on a host of instruments, including hurdy-gurdy.
Nov. 15, 7 p.m.
at Toad rsquo;s Place. 300 York St., New Haven.
$15. 524-TOAD, . to the Hartford Courant today and receive up to 50% off!
The best local band is Denderah! They're based out of Vancouver, BC and each time I see them I get beat up worse than the last. Check them out at www.
myspace.com/denderah I like Mambo Sons and Jeff Pitchell for best local bands. Great songs and guitar work - check them out.
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