Joanna Newsom to Perform at B.A.M.
Harpist-turned-psych folk poster girl Joanna Newsom will follow Sufjan Stevens', um, wand waves and perform with an orchestra at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Feb. 8 next year. She'll sing her dreamy, folk-inspired songs and pluck strings on her massive harp in Brooklyn after a two-day stay at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Orchestra.
Ms. Newsom recently kicked off her orchestral tour at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Ann Powers of the LA Times reviews:
Since releasing her 2004 debut album, "The Milk-Eyed Mender," the 25-year-old musician has dealt with an irritating stream of words describing her -- elfin, childlike, chirpy, twee -- that diminish the complexity and singularity of her music. It's mostly because of that voice, a hyperbolically girlish soprano often compared to Björk's but more reminiscent of forgotten jazz babies such as Ruth Etting. Her singing frees Newsom from the yoke of personal authenticity, helping transform her songs from confessions into golden tales. But it can also distract from her equally startling song structures and lyrics.
This stop on Newsom's first American tour with strings (featuring a local chamber ensemble on each of its six dates) put her voice in its proper place.
Get into Ms. Newsom's dreamlike world by watching her video for "Sprout and the Bean."
