Review Wednesday: Joanna Newsom - "Anecdotes"

Joanna Newsom

Anecdotes

Divers

Drag City

"Anecdotes" opens the much-acclaimed Newsom's latest album, Divers, and this is the right choice. "Anecdotes" is something that you can imagine from a Disney princess will sing. Its song structure, its harp pluck, and Newsom's haunting voice are exactly what Snow White will do to please her dwarves. You even wonder whether this song will be able to resurrect dead body or not. 

But, "Anecdotes" is so mellifluous that you can't help but ponder if it possesses such magic. It fits as the opening track of Divers as she sings, "Sending the first scout over", like a cartographer or a sailor who wants to start her new adventures in an unknown realm before. In fact, "Anecdotes" is filled with references from your childhood tale. "Camp", "kid with Rufous Nightjar", most of "Anecdotes" tell us about Newsom's nice chat with a bird. It's like what Snow White does, doesn't it? "Anecdotes" feels so fantasy and surreal, it begins a new journey, it's just so pure and wonderful and beautiful and enchanting. The fact that I'm lost at words when I describe this song proves how amazing this song is. 

Divers is just released on October 23rd by Drag City.