Divers
by Joanna Newsom
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 157 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 131 out of 157
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 157
  3. Negative: 16 out of 157
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. BrushedRed
    Nov 3, 2015
    3
    Tried to like this, but I just can't. I'm not seeing what everyone is going gaga about. The music in the background is pretty.. Too bad the vocals sound like the lovechild of Fran Drescher and Lois Griffin.
  2. jake_gibbs
    Dec 22, 2015
    0
    I listen to an album like this and come away thinking, 'there are people who actually enjoy this?' it kind of reminded of me of the "dumb and dumber' scene where jim carrey talks about the most annoying sound one can possibly make. with most critically acclaimed albums, I think that maybe I missed something on the first listen and I'm willing to give it another spin. With "Divers," I wasI listen to an album like this and come away thinking, 'there are people who actually enjoy this?' it kind of reminded of me of the "dumb and dumber' scene where jim carrey talks about the most annoying sound one can possibly make. with most critically acclaimed albums, I think that maybe I missed something on the first listen and I'm willing to give it another spin. With "Divers," I was like, 'dear god, please don't make me listen to this again.'… Expand
  3. Crackhead666
    Jun 6, 2020
    0
    Pretentious drivel. I can’t understand what she’s saying and not in the good way like the Cocteau Twins. This screaming, shrill vocalist set against a lush beautiful orchestra is like going to the dentist and he’s drilling while the radio is on the classical station. If you are a musician and you don’t know your chances to get famous, just put on some Joanna, the Mormon bird woman, and youPretentious drivel. I can’t understand what she’s saying and not in the good way like the Cocteau Twins. This screaming, shrill vocalist set against a lush beautiful orchestra is like going to the dentist and he’s drilling while the radio is on the classical station. If you are a musician and you don’t know your chances to get famous, just put on some Joanna, the Mormon bird woman, and you will feel 1000 times more confident in your abilities. How people can sit and listen to this and treat it like it’s high art is absolutely beyond me. It is beyond pretentious. It’s become a caricature of itself because of how serious people take her music while it sounds like the spirit you hear wailing in the barn at night and it scares the cows so you hire a witch to exorcise the spirit and it doesn’t work so it keeps wailing and wailing its elementary poetry night after night, begging for an audience. I truly believe if she were unattractive, my view would be more popular. Oh Lord save your ears.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Album of 2015
52
#52 Most Discussed Album of 2015
25
#25 Most Shared Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Dusted Magazine
    Nov 9, 2015
    80
    Newsom is, obviously, not the first musician to get technically better at what she does while we’re looking on, and not the first, either, to elicit a twinge of regret from listeners who liked the rawer, wilder beginnings.... Divers hides its sting not in an unusual voice, but in its lyrical and musical complexity, and it’s a good trade after all.
    Read full review
  2. Record Collector
    Nov 6, 2015
    100
    Divers is another meticulous masterpiece from one of the songwriters of her time, an album that’ll still be spellbinding generations from now.
    Read full review
  3. Pretty Much Amazing
    Nov 5, 2015
    83
    Divers takes another logical step, tightening up from the sprawling consistency of Have One on Me without quite tightening up enough to return to Mender’s folk-pop. This is easily Newsom’s most sumptuously arranged album, with a more eclectic palette of instruments than she’s previously employed.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »