Harpy, but in a good way
(11/16/06 5:00am)
Joanna Newsom's second album, Ys, is a daunting little number. Take the defiant medieval blonde on the cover, sickle in hand. Or the title itself, pronounced "ees," they say. Oh, and then there are the album's five epic tracks that go from a short seven minutes to a somewhat lengthier 17. But don't be put off! Rolling Stone might not like it, but Ys is no Sigur Ros-ian exercise in lengthiness; it's acoustic storytelling at its best.