A brief insight

I can never seem to make up my mind about Joanna Newsom. I feel like I should be rooting for her because she's a female songwriter who plays the harp instead of guitar or piano. She's obviously a talented musician (look at those fingers go) and she seems like an interesting person.

So, every so often I get stern with myself and decide that I'm really going to listen to her music and give it a fair chance this time. But I never get more than a minute or so into a song before giving up. I once saw an iTunes reviewer describe her singing as sounding exactly like Lisa Simpson, and I have to admit the comparison is an apt one. Her lyrics might be good, but it becomes irrelevant because the sound prevents me from really concentrating on them. So I turn the song off and vow I will never listen to her again. But something always keeps me coming back, which in this case was lucky, because a few days ago I ran across this live performance of "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie":



Quite honestly, I love this video. Her voice seems to have been toned down somehow. The childlike quality of it now seems endearing rather than irritating, and the breaks and cracks sound like they come from emotion rather than lack of skill. And since I'm not distracted by her singing, I can actually focus on her playing and listen to the words, which manage to be both quirky and poignant at the same time.

I still don't plan on listening to Joanna full-time, simply because her voice just isn't my cup of tea, but I still respect what she's doing. She certainly has her own style and isn't afraid to pursue it, and that's something to be admired.