Divers (album)

Last updated
Divers
Joanna Newsom - Divers.jpg
Studio album by
Joanna Newsom
ReleasedOctober 23, 2015 (2015-10-23)
Genre
Length51:52
Label Drag City
Producer
Joanna Newsom chronology
Have One on Me
(2010)		Divers
(2015)
Singles from Divers
  1. "Sapokanikan"
    Released: August 10, 2015
  2. "Leaving the City"
    Released: September 20, 2015

Divers is the fourth studio album by American musician Joanna Newsom, released on October 23, 2015 via Drag City. [3]

Contents

The album was revealed on August 10, 2015, along with its first song, "Sapokanikan", which was released digitally as the first single. [4] The cover art, album packaging, and music video for the album's title track feature the work of artist Kim Keever. The music video was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson with whom Newsom worked for the film Inherent Vice . [5] [6]

Speaking about the album's creative process in an interview with Entertainment Weekly , she said "I ... spent a year or two on the instrumental arrangements and overdubs. I wanted the character and colors of the instrumentation to shift definitively, from song to song, which entailed a wide pool of collaborators and a lengthy collaborative process with each person." She further described the process of making the album as "probably the most fun I’ve had making a record". [7] Entertainment Weekly also reported Newsom "as using an arsenal of nearly a dozen keyboards and synths including clavichords, Mellotrons and Marxophones" for the album while members of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra feature as players on the album. [8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 8.6/10 [9]
Metacritic 88/100 [10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The A.V. Club B+ [12]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Entertainment Weekly A− [14]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
NME 4/5 [17]
Pitchfork 8.5/10 [18]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Spin 8/10 [2]

Divers received widespread critical acclaim, achieving an aggregate score of 88 on Metacritic based upon 33 reviews. [10] It receives a similarly high score of 8.6 on AnyDecentMusic?, with the collated scores of thirty-five reviews. [9] Critics praised the complexity of Newsom's lyrics and arrangements, while noting that the record is more accessible and compact than previous releases. In a positive review for Exclaim! , Stephen Carlick wrote that "Divers feels like the culmination of all of Newsom's incredible work over the past decade. It's the sound of an artist operating at the peak of her powers, employing all her greatest strengths at once to create an assured, moving work that corroborates what Have One On Me already suggested: that Joanna Newsom is one of the finest songwriters of this generation." [20] Another positive review, by Ben Ratliff in The New York Times, described, "Almost nothing in the way this music is composed, produced (by Ms. Newsom and Noah Georgeson) or recorded (by Steve Albini and Mr. Georgeson) seems incidental or accidental. You almost want to hold the whole thing still, flatten it out and study it." [21]

Pitchfork awarded the album the 'Best New Music' tag, and stated that "on her fourth album, Divers, Joanna Newsom comes down in size if not scope". They go on to describe the record as "a love letter in the form of a reckoning with death, Divers deals with making tangible the huge mass of impending doom about the loss of love. You know, the small stuff. It's a gorgeous record, full of her usual harp wilyness and baroque rhythms". [18]

James Skinner, writing for Drowned in Sound , concluded by saying that the record is, "Conveyed with sincerity, warmth and the musicianship and love of language and storytelling that sets - has always set - Joanna Newsom apart, Divers is a colossal achievement." [22] Skinner awarded the album full marks. The Skinny also gave the record a perfect score, saying that after listening to the record, "It'll be hard not to conclude that this is surely one of the albums of the year". [23]

Accolades

Accolades for Divers
PublicationAccoladeYearRank
Drowned in Sound Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of the Year 20152015
7 [24]
Exclaim! Exclaim!'s Top 10 Folk & Country Albums 20152015
2 [25]
Flood Magazine Flood's Best of 20152015
9 [26]
The Guardian The Best Albums of 20152015
10 [27]
Magnet Magnet's Top 25 Albums of 20152015
6 [28]
musicOMH musicOMH's Top 50 Albums of 20152015
4 [29]
NME NME's Albums of the Year 20152015
17 [30]
No RipcordTop Albums of 20152015
8 [31]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 20152015
13 [32]
Readers' Top 50 Albums2015
10 [33]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 20152015
22 [34]
The Wire Releases of the Year 1–502015
14 [35]

Commercial performance

Newsom achieved her first No. 1 on Billboard 's Alternative Albums chart with the album, which sold 14,000 units in its first week. It marked Newsom's best career sales week, topping the first week sales of 2006's Ys , which sold 9,000. Divers also debuted at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart, with 3,000 LPs sold. [36]

Track listing

The track listing was officially announced by Drag City on August 10, 2015. [37]

All songs written by Joanna Newsom, except "Same Old Man" (traditional).

No.TitleLength
1."Anecdotes"6:27
2."Sapokanikan"5:11
3."Leaving the City"3:48
4."Goose Eggs"5:01
5."Waltz of the 101st Lightborne"5:22
6."The Things I Say"2:35
7."Divers"7:07
8."Same Old Man"2:26
9."You Will Not Take My Heart Alive"4:01
10."A Pin-Light Bent"4:26
11."Time, as a Symptom"5:28
Total length:51:52

Personnel

Performance

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Divers
Chart (2015)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [38] 63
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [39] 30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [40] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [41] 70
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [42] 81
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [43] 14
French Albums (SNEP) [44] 168
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [45] 22
Irish Albums (IRMA) [46] 8
Italian Albums (FIMI) [47] 93
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [48] 26
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [49] 91
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [50] 56
UK Albums (OCC) [51] 10
US Billboard 200 [52] 30
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [53] 1
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [54] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [55] 2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanna Newsom</span> American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1982)

Joanna Caroline Newsom is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Northern California, Newsom was classically trained on the harp in her youth and began her musical career as a keyboardist in the San Francisco-based indie band the Pleased.

<i>The Milk-Eyed Mender</i> 2004 studio album by Joanna Newsom

The Milk-Eyed Mender is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, released on March 23, 2004, by Drag City.

<i>Ys</i> (Joanna Newsom album) 2006 studio album by Joanna Newsom

Ys is the second studio album by American musician Joanna Newsom. It was released by Drag City on November 14, 2006. The album was produced by Newsom and Van Dyke Parks, recorded by Steve Albini, mixed by Jim O'Rourke, with accompanying orchestral arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. It features guest vocals from Bill Callahan and Emily Newsom. The vocals and harp were recorded at The Village Recording Studio in Los Angeles in December 2005, with the orchestration being recorded between May and June 2006 at the Entourage Studios in Los Angeles.

<i>Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix</i> 2009 studio album by Phoenix

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the fourth studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix. It was released on 25 May 2009 by V2 Records. While the band's previous work enjoyed a moderate underground following, the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix drew the attention of a more mainstream audience. In the US, Phoenix began a promotional tour including performances on several late night talk shows. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix continued to gain momentum with the increased exposure of the tour. The album received critical acclaim with many publications calling it one of the best albums of 2009. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards held on 31 January 2010.

<i>This Is Happening</i> 2010 studio album by LCD Soundsystem

This Is Happening is the third studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released first on May 17, 2010, jointly through DFA and Virgin Records in the United States and Parlophone elsewhere. It was recorded over the course of 2009 and early 2010 in the Mansion recording studio in Los Angeles. The first single, "Drunk Girls", was released in April 2010, with a music video directed by Spike Jonze. The album is dedicated to Jerry Fuchs (1974–2009), who performed drums live with the band on occasion, as well as having a big part in associated DFA acts.

<i>Have One on Me</i> 2010 studio album by Joanna Newsom

Have One on Me is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, released on February 23, 2010 via Drag City as the official follow-up to the harpist's highly acclaimed second studio release, 2006's Ys. It is a triple album produced by herself and mixed by long-time collaborators Jim O'Rourke and Noah Georgeson, with the accompanying arrangements by Ryan Francesconi. Have One on Me continues Newsom's use of cryptic, pastoral lyrics, with a further progression of elements of her sound such as the orchestral accompaniment and the arrangements – with the inclusion of diverse instruments like the tambura, the harpsichord and the kaval. The production also flirts with genres such as jazz and blues in some of the tracks, while adding drums and the electric guitar in others. The album is also her first since The Milk-Eyed Mender to include songs played on the piano instead of the harp. Because of health problems, Newsom's voice was damaged during the sessions consequently affecting the overall recording process and forcing the harpist to change her singing style.

<i>The Suburbs</i> 2010 studio album by Arcade Fire

The Suburbs is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on August 2, 2010. Coinciding with its announcement, the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing the title track and "Month of May". The album debuted at No. 1 on the Irish Albums Chart, the UK Albums Chart, the US Billboard 200 chart, and the Canadian Albums Chart. It won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards, Best International Album at the 2011 BRIT Awards, Album of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards, and the 2011 Polaris Music Prize for best Canadian album. Two weeks after winning Grammy's Album of the Year, the album jumped from No. 52 to No. 12 on the Billboard 200, the album's highest ranking since August 2010.

<i>Audio, Video, Disco</i> 2011 studio album by Justice

Audio, Video, Disco is the second studio album by the French electronic music duo Justice, released on 24 October 2011 by Ed Banger Records, Because Music and Elektra Records. Justice member Xavier de Rosnay has said of Audio, Video, Disco's musical style: "We wanted to create something very laid back and a bit countryside-ish. You know, daytime music. [...] What we wanted to do was keep the beats, but make it more soft. One of the challenges of this record was to make it feel emotionally heavy without being aggressive. Like being soft and violent at the same time. The texture of the new record is really soft." The album also features more collaborations than on the band's debut album †.

<i>Carrie & Lowell</i> 2015 Sufjan Stevens album

Carrie & Lowell is the seventh studio album by American musician Sufjan Stevens. It was released on March 31, 2015, by Asthmatic Kitty. It was produced by Stevens, and features guest contributions from Thomas Bartlett, Sean Carey, Casey Foubert, Ben Lester, Nedelle Torrisi, and Laura Veirs.

<i>Sound & Color</i> 2015 studio album by Alabama Shakes

Sound & Color is the second and final studio album by American band Alabama Shakes. It was released on April 17, 2015 via ATO Records.

<i>Moth</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Chairlift

Moth is the third and final full-length album by American indie band Chairlift, released in the United States via Columbia Records on January 22, 2016. The album art was created by NYC visual artist Rebecca Bird.

<i>I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It</i> 2016 studio album by the 1975

I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It is the second studio album by English band the 1975, released on 26 February 2016 through Dirty Hit and Polydor. In 2014, frontman Matty Healy released a series of cryptic tweets containing lyrics from the album, revealing its title the following year. After their social accounts were deleted and reinstated with a new visual identity, the band officially confirmed the album in September 2015, a month before "Love Me" was released as the lead single. Over the course of five months, "Ugh!", "Somebody Else" and "The Sound" were released as singles, with "A Change of Heart" released four days prior to release. "She's American" and "Loving Someone" were later released in November 2016 and February 2017 as the final singles.

<i>Freetown Sound</i> 2016 studio album by Blood Orange

Freetown Sound is the third album by Dev Hynes recording as Blood Orange. It was released on 28 June 2016, three days before its originally announced release date of 1 July 2016. The album contains guest appearances by Empress Of, Debbie Harry, Nelly Furtado, Kelsey Lu and Carly Rae Jepsen. The album cover is a 2009 photograph titled Binky and Tony Forever by American artist Deana Lawson.

<i>Fires Within Fires</i> 2016 studio album by Neurosis

Fires Within Fires is the eleventh studio album by American post-metal band Neurosis. The album was released on September 23, 2016, via the band's own record label, Neurot Recordings. Recording began on December 27, 2015, at Electrical Audio Studio; the album was produced by Steve Albini and the cover art created by Thomas Hooper. Like Neurosis' previous albums, Fires Within Fires combines "elements from the post-metal genre they co-created [with] elements of industrial, doom, punk and folk". This is the band's final album with founding member Scott Kelly who was fired in 2019 due to domestic abuse allegations, which he officially confirmed to be true and announced his withdrawal from the public eye in August 2022.

<i>AIM</i> (album) 2016 studio album by M.I.A.

AIM is the fifth studio album by British rapper and singer M.I.A. It was released on 9 September 2016 by Interscope and Polydor Records. Prior to its release, M.I.A. claimed that it would be her final album. She worked on the composition and production of the album with a range of collaborators, including Blaqstarr, Diplo, and Skrillex. The album was recorded in various countries, including Jamaica and India, and includes vocal contributions from Dexta Daps and Zayn. As with M.I.A.'s earlier releases, the album mixes Eastern and Western musical influences. Lyrically, several tracks on the album contain themes of borders and refugees.

<i>The Far Field</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Future Islands

The Far Field is the fifth studio album by American synthpop band Future Islands, released on April 7, 2017 through 4AD. Several parallels can be made between this studio album and the band's second studio album, In Evening Air: both are titled after the final volume of poetry by Theodore Roethke, and both have album art produced by former band member Kymia Nawabi.

<i>Slowdive</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Slowdive

Slowdive is the fourth studio album by English rock band Slowdive. It was released on 5 May 2017 by the record label Dead Oceans. It was Slowdive's first studio album in 22 years, following Pygmalion (1995). It was also the band's first album since Souvlaki (1993) to feature the drummer Simon Scott as a member.

<i>Masseduction</i> 2017 studio album by St. Vincent

Masseduction is the fifth studio album by American musician St. Vincent, released on October 13, 2017, through Loma Vista Recordings. The album peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200, becoming her first top ten album in the United States. The album also received universal acclaim and was the fourth-most mentioned in critics' year-end lists for 2017. At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Masseduction won the award for Best Recording Package and Best Rock Song for its title track, and was also nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album.

<i>The Thread That Keeps Us</i> 2018 studio album by Calexico

The Thread That Keeps Us is the ninth studio album by American indie rock band Calexico. It was released on January 26, 2018, under Anti-.

<i>The Ascension</i> (Sufjan Stevens album) 2020 studio album by Sufjan Stevens

The Ascension is the eighth studio album by American musician Sufjan Stevens. It was released through Asthmatic Kitty on September 25, 2020. The record was influenced by a range of artists, particularly Ariana Grande and her 2018 song "Thank U, Next".

References

  1. ↑ Bollinger, Nick (November 17, 2015). "Divers by Joanna Newsom". Radio New Zealand . Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Sackllah, David (October 26, 2015). "Review: Joanna Newsom Doesn't Need a Triple Lindy to Make a Splash on 'Divers'". Spin . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Announces New Album Divers". Pitchfork . 10 August 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Joanna Newsom "Sapokanikan" (Official Video) - YouTube" . Retrieved August 10, 2015– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Returns (With Paul Thomas Anderson)". ArtInfo. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Announces North American Tour, Will Screen Paul Thomas Anderson-Directed "Divers" Video in Movie Theaters". Pitchfork. 6 October 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Interview". Entertainment Weekly . September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Press Release" (PDF). September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Divers by Joanna Newsom reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Reviews for Divers by Joanna Newsom". Metacritic . Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  11. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Divers – Joanna Newsom". AllMusic . Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  12. ↑ Reiff, Corbin (October 23, 2015). "Joanna Newsom: Divers". The A.V. Club . Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  13. ↑ Brown, Helen (October 27, 2015). "Joanna Newsom, Divers, review: 'a magic carpet ride'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ Maerz, Melissa (October 21, 2015). "Joanna Newsom is marvelous and mercurial on new album Divers: EW review". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  15. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (October 22, 2015). "Joanna Newsom: Divers review – deeply idiosyncratic, straightforwardly striking". The Guardian . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  16. ↑ Gill, Andy (October 23, 2015). "Joanna Newsom, Divers – album review: A dazzling imagination takes wing on a richly diverse comeback". The Independent . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  17. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (October 16, 2015). "Joanna Newsom – 'Divers'". NME . Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Snapes, Laura (October 19, 2015). "Joanna Newsom: Divers". Pitchfork . Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  19. ↑ Hermes, Will (October 20, 2015). "Divers". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  20. ↑ Carlick, Stephen (October 20, 2015). "Joanna Newsom – Divers". Exclaim! . Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  21. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (2015-10-21). "Review: Joanna Newsom's 'Divers' Shares Thoughts of Life and Death". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  22. ↑ "Album Review: Joanna Newsom - Divers / Releases / Releases // Drowned in Sound". Archived from the original on 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  23. ↑ "Joanna Newsom: Divers - New album review - the Skinny".
  24. ↑ "Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of the Year 2015". Drowned in Sound. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Exclaim!'s Top 10 Folk & Country Albums 2015". Exclaim!. December 4, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  26. ↑ "FLOOD's Best of 2015: Music (#25–5)". FLOOD Magazine. December 7, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  27. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2015". The Guardian . December 2, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  28. ↑ "BEST OF 2015". Magnet Magazine. December 18, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  29. ↑ "musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2015". musicOMH . December 18, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  30. ↑ "NME'S Albums of the Year 2015". NME . Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  31. ↑ "Top Albums of 2015". No Ripcord. 2015-12-17. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  32. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2015". Pitchfork . December 16, 2015. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Readers' Poll Results 2015". Pitchfork . January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  34. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2015". Stereogum . 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  35. ↑ "2015 Rewind: Releases of the Year 1–50" . The Wire . No. 383. London. January 2016. p. 32 – via Exact Editions.(subscription required)
  36. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (November 4, 2015). "Joanna Newsom Makes a Splash Atop Alternative & Folk Albums Charts". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Divers". August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  38. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (October 31, 2015). "ARIA Albums: 5 Seconds of Summer Top Australian Chart". Noise11. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Joanna Newsom – Divers" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Joanna Newsom – Divers" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Joanna Newsom – Divers" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  43. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Joanna Newsom – Divers" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Joanna Newsom – Divers". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Joanna Newsom – Divers" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Joanna Newsom". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Joanna Newsom – Divers". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  48. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Joanna Newsom – Divers". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Joanna Newsom – Divers". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Joanna Newsom – Divers". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  52. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  54. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  55. ↑ "Joanna Newsom Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.