Joanna Newsom would never win ‘American Idol.’ Her singing is a little harsh, and she has, in her own words, too much “warble and rise, like a sparrow” in her voice.

This really is a pity, as she is more talented than many of the show’s previous winners. “Ys” (pronounced, I believe, ees), Newsom’s latest record released on Chicago’s Drag City label, is a splendid, sprawling epic of a record that is utterly nuanced and lovely.

Newsom plays a very unique instrument—a ‘Lyon & Healy’ style 11 pedal hard-—so the sound of ‘Ys’ is very different from most records. Joining Newsom’s voice and harp are a multitude of other instruments: electric guitars, banjos, violins, violas and cellos. While Newsom’s voice and harp always are the dominant part of the song, the accompanying instruments provide a dynamic and lush contrast to the harp.

Just as Newsom’s voice and harp are unique, the record is also unconventional. The record is comprised of just five songs: ‘Emily,’ ‘Monkey & Bear,’ ‘Sawdust & Diamonds,’ ‘Only Skin’ and ‘Cosmia.’ But each of song is no shorter than seven minutes, and the entire record is a substantial 55 minutes long. Further distinguishing the album is Newsom’s European renaissance-era theme: her cover art is painted in a style vaguely reminiscent of Botticelli, and Newsom’s lyrics use works like “thee,” “musk” and “genteel curtsy.”

And the lyrics that Newsom has chosen are gorgegous. They are poetry in themselves, and when she puts the words to music, the results are sublime. The lyrics alternate from prose to gorgeous poetry: “So: enough of this terror/We deserve to know light/ and grow evermore lighter and lighter./You would have seen me through,/But I could not undo that desire.”

Of course, the lyrics would be meaningless if they did not mesh effectively with the accompanying music. This, however, is one of the strengths of “Ys.” Newsom’s harp is wonderful, always accompanying the lyrics perfectly, regardless of the subject of Newsom’s lyrics. The sound of Newsom’s harp is conspicuously gorgeous, flowing like water from cord to cord.

I had thought that the angelic harp was only capable of a certain type of sound: light and heavenly church music. But “Ys” is indeed varied and ranges between light and playful in ‘Monkey & Bear’ to a darker sound in “Only Skin.” Of course, it helps that Newsom is backed by an orchestra, but Newsom’s harp is surprisingly versatile.

With songs as long as 17 minutes, one might guess that the songs might be a little boring at times. But this is never the case. The songs, full of tenderness and obvious passion, are always moving and dynamic. In fact, they move surprisingly quickly, and I had to ask myself where the time went after “Only Skin,” the album’s 17 minute song, because the song was so varied and offered something unique at every moment.

To be honest, my initial reaction to “Ys” was that I was unimpressed. But after I really listened attentively to what she was singing, I was amazed. The songs are deeply nuanced and each new listen reveals something new. But it also helps to have the lyric sheet out to figure out exactly about what Newsom’s singing. And when you do have the lyric sheet, you realize that the songs aren’t just great sounding, but they’re also beautiful stories.

Newsom’s renaissance theme in “Ys” is clear sign of her connection and debt to the past. But “Ys” takes the past and moves forward, combining the past and present to create an incredible album. And while I will forget last year’s American Idol winner, I won’t forget “Ys” any time soon, because “Ys” is bound to become a classic in the future.