Joanna Newsom & the Ys Street Band EP (CD - 2007)

The playfully titled JOANNA NEWSOM AND THE YS STREET BAND (hint: the title of her second album, YS, is meant to be pronounced "eees") is a stand-alone three-song EP that runs just over 24 minutes. More than half of that running time is devoted to the sprawling, 13-minute epic, full-band version of "Cosmia," which completely transforms the original YS version of the song, and would have fit very nicely on the album itself. The other two songs, the brand new "Colleen" and a reworking of "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" from THE MILK-EYED MENDER, show off the road-tested strength of Newsom's backing band, having been recorded live in the studio after a lengthy tour. As a result, this is a comparatively "normal"-sounding effort by the engagingly quirky Newsom. minimize