Ys

Album Notes & Community Reviews

'Ys' is a work of ambitious scale, structured around five epic-length songs that feature Joanna Newsom's intricate harp playing and distinctive, emotive vocals. The album's progressive folk sound is magnified by the lush, dynamic orchestral arrangements of Van Dyke Parks, which were recorded in an all-analog process by Steve Albini and mixed by Jim O'Rourke. Lyrically, the through-composed pieces eschew conventional structure, weaving dense, allegorical narratives of love, loss, and mythology that are both deeply personal and mythic in scope.