User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 223 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 28 out of 223

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  1. Nov 22, 2011
    5
    A great album is somewhere in here, although Newsom needs to do some editing to find it. While some songs deserve their drawn out running time--the heartfelt cowboy ballad Baby Birch and the truly interesting medieval-style madrigal Kingfisher--others feel bloated and stretched out for no reason whatsoever. Further frustrating this drawn-out quality is Newsom's new singing style, whichA great album is somewhere in here, although Newsom needs to do some editing to find it. While some songs deserve their drawn out running time--the heartfelt cowboy ballad Baby Birch and the truly interesting medieval-style madrigal Kingfisher--others feel bloated and stretched out for no reason whatsoever. Further frustrating this drawn-out quality is Newsom's new singing style, which involves stretching out every vowel to last a full two seconds, in a sometimes comedic imitation of mid-70's Joni Mitchell. 'In youuuuuuuuuuur arms....yoouuuuuuuuuur arms" she sings in No Provenance, by the end of which I'm wanting to run as far from those arms as I can manage. And considering that she'll be singing that song for another eight minutes, i'll probably get a good headstart. However the album (or albums) do see Newsom trying on some new musical duds, some of which work surprisingly well. The Peanuts-style jazz of Good Intentions Paving Company (is that the shortest name you could find? Can't you edit anything?) isn't half bad, and neither is the barroom drawl of "Soft as Chalk". But it's in these more accessibe, pop-oriented tracks that the length really becomes a problem. I'm very glad to let Newsom take me on a strange and delightful 11-minute journey in the title track, visiting Lola Montez and 19th century Spain and daddy long legs; this is territory that only Newsom could think up. But I'm not as keen on hearing seven solid minutes of Newsom's (a-hem) 'interesting' vibrato on Good Intentions, or the list of absolutely everything she has left in a lover's bedroom on the final track, Does Not Suffice. (Which is a reprise of In California, man, does Newsom love to just circle round and round.) This is a great collection of demos. Now edit out all the filler and I would be glad to have one on you. Just not three. Expand
  2. Raj
    Oct 12, 2010
    4
    There are the makings of a fabulous album in here. If the track list was cut to 7 or 8 songs and chosen carefully, I would undoubtedly be considering a mark of 9 or 10, however, more than half of the 18 songs included are nothing better than mediocre and listening to 2 hours plus of mediocrity, with the occasional highlight is a bit of a grind. This was the first Newsom album I bought butThere are the makings of a fabulous album in here. If the track list was cut to 7 or 8 songs and chosen carefully, I would undoubtedly be considering a mark of 9 or 10, however, more than half of the 18 songs included are nothing better than mediocre and listening to 2 hours plus of mediocrity, with the occasional highlight is a bit of a grind. This was the first Newsom album I bought but I think this should probably remain one for the established fans. Expand
  3. PilewskiA
    Feb 28, 2010
    5
    Cathartic, Great, etc. SURE. But also offputtingly pretentious, bloated, and simply not as lovely as the proverbial cupcake.
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 35
  2. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. As an album, it is huge, sometimes overwhelming-- but such is the strength and individuality of Newsom’s vision, it seems almost inconceivable she could produce anything unremarkable.
  2. Much like a riveting movie keeps you in your seat, you’ll want to pay close attention to Joanna Newsom’s astonishing new album for fear of missing too much of the plot.
  3. Try to label what Newsom does in a sentence or two, and you just tie yourself in knots. Have One On Me will do little to change all that, and so the only clear point of reference is her own previous work. Beyond that, though, it’s enough to say that it’s her, and if you loved "Ys" as much as this writer did, you’re probably going to love Have One On Me also.