Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender

It’s all about that voice really. Impossible to get past for some, an acquired taste for most, but once you’re on board few would have it any other way. This listener, for once, was utterly besotted. What wasn’t in question was that Joanna Newsom’s harp-playing was hypnotic and beautiful or that her compositions were stunning. ‘Sadie’, ‘Inflammatory Writ’, ‘Bridges and Ballons’ – all gorgeous, but the highlight was the heartbreaking final track ‘Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie’. This was one huge little album. (Shane Murphy)