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...Baby Birch,” the sixth track, also demonstrates Newsom’s ability to successfully adapt and transform previously-unexplored styles. Newsom’s voice takes on only the slightest, airy twang so that the song recalls the style of Neko Case. But the track, which approaches ten minutes in length, goes beyond a mere regurgitation of alternative country. Haphazard slips of electric guitar and banjo accent a languid harp—which, in typical Newsom style, she fits perfectly into this country song—and as the song proceeds, dramatic harp and guitar...
...Have One on Me” also boasts symphonic arrangements, an unfamiliar element in Newsom’s repertoire. On track nine, “In California,” theatrical strings swell to a climax topped off by the trilling of flutes and orchestral percussion. Without overpowering, the arrangements effectively enhance the harp playing which makes up the song’s foundation, and along with Newsom’s flawless vocals, they add a new and rich sound to her vast inventory...
...singing has evolved remarkably from the piercing yowls of her previous works. While her distinctive vocal style may have held an endearing quality for devoted fans, it could be quite grating for the unintiated. On this album, however, a much clearer, controlled soprano imbues all 18 tracks with an angelic beauty. On the third track, “‘81,” as Newsom utters such lyrics as “Meet me in the Garden of Eden / …We are going to have a garden party” and “I believe...
...similar fashion, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” marks the band’s sole instance of musical experimentation. In a departure from the soft rock which defines much of the rest of the album, this track is marked by a heavier bass line and more reverb. Much like the rest of the album, however, the lyrics still leave a little to be desired—“You’re all talk and nothing to say / We don’t want, don’t want what you’re giving...
...Solitary Gun,” the album’s opening track, is perhaps its most satisfying. From a sparse acoustic guitar opening, frontman Zach Rogue quietly asks a simple romantic question, “Will I follow you down the line?” As soon as he asks, the acoustic guitar picks up and the listener is drawn into a hook-laden, delightfully melodic song. The most pleasing aspect is the limited studio production, which leaves mostly unadorned the song’s mix of acoustic and electric guitar, drums backed up with handclaps, and bass...