The sleeve of Joanna Newsom’s 'Divers' depicts an illuminated cloud engulfing a landscape of heather, flowers and hillside bracken. Swiftly capturing the imagination while presenting an ethereal concept and higher state of being, it seamlessly ties in with the LP itself.
Reflecting the west coast multi instrumentalist’s existential ideologies on life and the meaning of the afterlife, ‘Divers’ is an intricate, complex album that is deep in symbolism and accomplished with palpable style.
Dreaming in chords and symphonies, Newsom’s vivid hopes, loves, beliefs and musings come to life as she sings with high-pitched personality, echoed by her harp. Long term lovers of her work will be satisfied by this medieval, poetic and complex work.
Presenting enjoyable obstacles for new listeners, ‘Divers’ remains entirely singular from beginning to end. Newsom unapologetically invites her audience to hear her art for what it is: a complete body of work.
As you would not pick up a book and read just one chapter to understand the whole story, ‘Divers’ - from the opening track, Anecdotes, to the acoustic, bird song-scattered Time, As A Symptom - demands to be unpicked and discovered, from its illustrious metaphors and philosophies to its soulful integrity.
Time, As A Symptom is a wondrous orchestra of Newsom’s accumulated talents. Celebrating the album’s end with a chorus that builds like a sunrise, the track is timeless, poignant and truly unforgettable. You Will Not Take My Heart Alive, meanwhile, platforms her delicate, scale-claiming vocals, elevated by a signature, waltzing harp instrumental, as though both were entirely in sync. Throughout, in fact, Newsom and her instruments perform as one.
The title track builds sad intrigue, telling something of the story behind the album’s conception. “I know we must abide each by the rules that bind us here: the divers, and the sailors, and the women on the pier,” she sings. “But how do you choose your form? How do you choose your name? How do you choose your life?”
Allowing it to cross borders into universal life experiences and emotions, the imagery used to reflect Newsom’s most intimate thoughts is rarely personalised. Challenging of intellect and innocent by its very nature, the effortless lack of pretence Newsom has retained is a joy.
Perhaps the most polished of her albums, ‘Divers’ assures her place at the forefront of the irreverent.This is an album to dive into repeatedly in order to make sense of Newsom's incredibly wild, creative mind's eye.
Joanna Newsom Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat October 31 2015 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Sun November 01 2015 - BRIGHTON Dome
Mon November 02 2015 - BRISTOL Colston Hall
Mon November 09 2015 - LONDON Eventim Apollo
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