Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me

Joanna Newsom
Have One On Me
Drag City Records [2010]









Fire Note Review: If you have the time - this one is good!

Album Review:
I must admit that I was a bit scared to tackle Joanna Newsom's new long player when I discovered it was a triple album. That is right - a triple album! It also made me a little nervous knowing that Newsom's songs can range from 6 to 9 minutes long - sometimes longer. Well with a total of 18 songs hitting the 2 hour mark, Have One On Me is an adventurous undertaking but if you are up to it, there is no other artist currently out there that can tell a story like this. Stylistically, Have One On Me blends her two previous offerings and brings the best of both, as the instrumentation here still focuses on her harp and her vocals, which are much more direct, clear and compelling. This goes a long way because Have One On Me completely pulls you in. It really is in three pieces, as each CD contains six songs and it smartly allows the listener to pick up and put down each record, without losing the overall context of the entire album. That is key about Have One On Me because not only are the songs good but the format prevents any fatigue that might sit in and takes into consideration the simple fact that not many people can dedicate a straight 2 hours to any one record. Overall, Joanna Newsom is in a league of her own and she has not only created a niche - she is the niche. Have One On Me is not a record you necessarily will play constantly but it is a record that will stand the test of time and still will sound monumental when you take it out, clearly highlighting the artistic talent that is Joanna Newsom!

Key Tracks: "Occident", "Esme", "Easy"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Ani DiFranco
Joni Mitchell
Tori Amos

Joanna Newsom: Ys [Fire Note Review 11/27/06]

Official Joanna Newsom Website
Joanna Newsom MySpace
Joanna Newsom Facebook
Drag City Records

-Reviewed by Robyn Gatsby