2010 JOANNA NEWSON SONG TOURNAMENT I
FIFTH (FINAL) ROUND SCORES AFTER SET 3
......... Song .......... P W D L V WP PP BP Pts
1 Only Skin ........... 3 3 0 0 45 30 24 10 64
2 In California ....... 3 3 0 0 34 30 18 9 57
3 Sawdust & Diamonds .. 3 2 0 1 27 20 14 9 43
4 Cosmia .............. 3 1 0 2 19 10 10 9 29
5 Emily ............... 3 0 0 3 27 0 14 8 23
6 Go Long ............. 3 0 0 3 19 0 10 8 17
Only Skin
Ok, I don't have a clue about what is she saying (maybe something about the relationship between son and mother or something like that), but it's clearly one of her most powerful songs in terms of arrangements and melody. Also, and as Baby Birch, this song progresses to a fabulous climax that suddenly vanishes like nothing has happened. The first line of the song really touches me. [j]
'Only Skin' is the track that constantly astounds me - the sheer beauty in her lyrics, the inventiveness of the music - sorry to fall into cliché, but it is unlike anything I've ever heard before. Much has been said of 'Only Skin', but I'm certain it'll stand the test of time - it'll be considered one of that decade's greats in the near future, one of the most astounding examples of contemporary folk ever recorded. [f]
Emily
The idea [that she has got meteorites and meteoroids mixed up] fits really well in its context, and I think is very clever, very deep, and brilliantly penned. As the speaker, she is trying to hold onto her memory of her sister's closeness, but it slips away into the mists of memory and the distance caused by Joanna not having access to the depths of her sister's world. This is part of the "sky that is gaping and yawning", and echoes the ideas of loss, distance and desire that's just out of reach, which fill the entire song. This is redeemed by the fact that "the ties that bind, they are barbed and spined and hold [them] close forever", but nonetheless the intensity of the feeling is real. [t]
Go Long
Go Long is a deeply complex and intricate song, with an undeniable poetic beauty that in some way hides the obscurity of the lyrics. As freely interpretable as they are, it is hard to comment on the track in terms of meaning for fear of disagreeing with others, but the portrayal of a foggy emotion lurching between bitterness and love is woven delicately with expertly applied references to the tale of Bluebeard and a beautiful combat between the two chief instruments, the harp and the kora which comes to a powerful and inconclusive end at the close of the track. We may try and find meaning in this track but really when one hears her mutter 'Do you know why my ankles are bound in gauze?' it ceases to matter, she moves us to emotions beyond description through a dark and sophisticated song which is frequently called the best on her latest album. [p]
Cosmia
Lots of people have talked about her voice, but I just find her voice is like her music on this album. Slightly offbeat, strange and possibly distracting on the first listen, yet it really grows on you to the point that it sounds totally engaging and unique. For the record, I like her voice. To me, this song is so lush, so mysterious, and so fitting for something to remember a person by. The surreal but natural imagery used by Ms Newsom really captures the attention of the listener, especially the moths by the fire. This is striking as death is very accurately captured in the scene.
The last bit, wow. I teared up.
This song is ridiculously gorgeous. I can't even begin to analyze it; that's the thing I love about Joanna's lyrics. I can't understand it at all, and I don't feel like I need to, to enjoy her music. It's just...amazing. [n]
Sawdust & Diamonds
The various mentions about bells are interesting, particularly the fear of them falling. There's actually a condition called "ringing vertigo" that can happen to church bell ringers, and this is linked to a fear of bells falling, and hence their own death! This was something John Bunyan mused on in the 17th century. Newsom is so good at this multi-stranded lyrical content, and whilst trying to understand her lyrics won't unlock the meaning of the universe, it's certainly fun exploring and appreciating the possible references.
"I wasn't born of a whistle or milked from a thistle at twilight
no, I was all horns and thorns, sprung out fully formed, knock-kneed and upright"
The latter fits well with a deer being born, and immediately on the hoof. As poetically obscure as these lyrics might be, the effect is beautiful and touching. It's difficult to express how much I love this song!
(That's all for now, I have to go push my lover into a tree and bind her buttons with salt!) [l]
In California
HOOM has many arcs and stories that stretch across the album, but perhaps the most important is the Easy-In California-Does Not Suffice storyline. As we all know, DNS is sort of a rejection of love. This is ironic, because it borrows its music from In California, which is perhaps Joanna's greatest love song; even if you decide to skip the lyrics the cuckoo-ing will clue you in. Especially poignant is the middle section. Never before has Newsom been as clear as "…and I don't wanna be alone", and the swirling strings that follow it through to the end of the phrase are satisfying in an Ys-ian way. This song is Joanna at her strongest: beautiful, epic, pretty, powerful, and heart-breaking. And oh, the way she sings 'California' in that very last line. Even Joni Mitchell would swoon. [i]
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