Joanna Newsom's debut album. The milk eyed mender, is a fascinating and quirky acoustic record, with some stunning songs. Newsom is obviously a huge talent, a Joni Mitchell for the millennium, and like Mitchell, Newsom is totally unique, she's both knowing and playful and innocent sounding all at the same time. Bridges and balloons, gets things of to a great start and the record switches from one superb moment to another. This side of the blue, sprout and the bean, and, the book of right on, are all excellent, but best track is closing cut, clam,crab,cockle,cowrie, it's absolutely beautiful. A brilliant album. I'm in love.

My favourite album from her .. maybe her most accesible, but this one pleased me more than Ys and Have One On Me.

I'm completely blown away! Where has Joanna Newsom been hiding all my life!

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Joanna Newsom is the best thing to happen to me since Bob Dylan.

Getting used to her voice takes a lot of time, but when you do, it's well worth it. (Don't play her in front of your friends unless you want to cop a lot of grief...)

Really unusual. I feel this album can only become better with time.

It's a toss up between this album and Kid A for my favorite album of the the 2000s. It's harder to explain why I love this one in particular--it's not as impressive in some ways as Ys, but I'm completely in love with every song on this album. Something about it is just magical.

There's far more comedy and joyful abandon with MEM than in her other two albums. But let that not detract from the fact that, whilst her vocals here are her rawest, the songs are just as beautiful. It doesn't take you on a journey like Ys does, but nevertheless you can't deny this is a work of fine art. Well, you can... but you'd be wrong.

Far from basic; ethereal, dream-like imagery nuances even the simplest ideas. Certain songs rub me the wrong way melodically but the rest are among the most beautiful songs I've ever heard