Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom Walnut Whales
(self-released; www.walnutwhales.com)

The tragically beautiful melodies that attract those individuals that feel one too many moments of heartbreaking, life-altering pangs a day can finally rest at ease to the magical, harp-wielding prowess of newcomer Joanna Newsom. Though barely legal, Newsom plucks melodies that are instantly familiar and that feel as lonesome as her child-like voice that accompanies them. With aesthetics that are both folk and classical, Newsom paints a world you could crawl into with a lit candle and the moon overhead. In “Clam Crab Cockle Cowrie,â€? she sings with a sense of aged wisdom, “I do as I please/Now I’m on my knees/Your skin is something that I stir into my tea.â€? Also using the piano and keyboard, Newsom writes songs that have a lovely quality, but it may take time to adjust to her voice. It’s occasionally got this nasally, high-pitched squeak, as on “Flying A Kite,â€? but can also be sweetly delicate and imperfect, as heard in “The Book of Right On.â€? A promising debut from an up-and-coming local songwriter. —Kathleen Richards… (mere)