MP3: Joanna Newsom - Three Little Babes

How often do you smile every time you hear a song?

Her voice tears into my head with the brittleness of a siren. And I enjoy it.

Joanna belongs to the group of singers you either love or hate, and as with most singers of that ilk, I love her. There is a rawness of sound there, a very visceral sonic characteristic that reaches out with it's tendrils and pushes itself into the folds of your brain. I've heard her voice in this song likened to a wailing cat or a diseased woman, and it's hard for me to disagree. Is that truly a negative thing though? I'd argue that it's a sensation so compelling, so ugly, that it cuts through all the bullshit, that forces you to listen to it... well, I think that's something quite beautiful and rare.