Joanna Newsom | Kingfisher

Another new Joanna Newsom track was released today. As with the previous two, head over to Drag City to listen to the track.

Kingfisher is another gem. The track has Joanna's signature, slightly off-beat harp accompaniment and utilizes some traditionally eastern instruments to add a new flavor to her library. When talk of Joanna working on/completing a new album first began, much was made of Jim O'Rourke being in Japan and many wondered how O'Rourke's current location would shape the album. With only three tracks released so far, it is tough to say how deeply the album is influenced by eastern culture/music, but I definitely hear it on Kingfisher.

I think what excites me most about these new tracks is the fact that they seem to occupy the perfect space between the intimacy of Milk Eyed Mender and the grandeur of Ys. These tracks seem more fully realized than some of the skeletal frames of Milk Eyed Mender, but have a restraint that was often missing on Ys. I don't think Joanna will win any new fans with this record, but if you've enjoyed any of her previous records, you may as well pre-order Have One on Me right now.