i never would expect it to be in Q's or NME's lists anyway. far too obscure for them

Ys was actually released in the UK a week before it was in the USA. NME gave it 8/10 so I'd imagine it would feature in their EOY. Q also called it "Utterly entrancing" in a 4* review. It also charted at #41.

Well it failed to entrance me. "Utterly annoying" is more accurate.

If you think YS is annoying (I don't but nor do I consider it a 21st century Pet Sounds or whatever) you really shouldn't hear her debut. That was annoying.

I second (slightly) MitchellStirling's comments. The first time you listen to THE MILK-EYED MENDER, it takes a good while to become acclimated to her hiccupy, faux-waif (if it's indeed faux) delivery - and I can easily understand that many will _never_ become acclimated to it. One of the pleasures of YS - for those who do derive pleasure from it, like me - is that her vocals are far less mannered and more controlled than on the debut; one might guess that Albini had something to do with this, but that's probably not giving enough credit to Newsom herself learning to modulate her voice better in the interval between albums.

In any case, I'm not going to get bogged down in an argument over the merits or lack thereof of YS. Newsom's a deeply divisive artist, and this is a deeply divisive album, no question. I would never say that someone is "wrong" for not liking any artist or album (although I still don't get Moonbeam's aversion to the Beatles!), and I sure as heck wouldn't say so in this case because I can completely understand why YS is a turn-off for so many. It'll be interesting to see how it fares in large polls like the one IDOLATOR is doing at the end of the year.

How the hell did the Howling Bells not make the top 100? Album of the year!