Joanna Newsom: The Stranger Interview

by Rich SmithJoanna Newsom. Cosmic.Annabel Mehran
Joanna Newsom took four years to make Divers, her latest from Drag City. The album’s apparent depths invite an equally deep analysis, one I haven’t seen much outside of fan forums and hot-boxed bedrooms. Many reviews say that her work sounds ornate, but stop short of explaining how or why she writes her music and lyrics that way.
Since it’d be too overwhelming for anyone to talk about all of the structural concerns of a work lik