"Peach, Plum, Pear" by Joanna Newsom
Post a song that's a different speed than you're used to
I don't know that this is a different "speed" but I always appreciate music with unusual time signatures. I can never really figure them out (I was really proud of myself when I realized a Breeders song was inserting a 2/4 after a 4/4 to extend by like half a measure) (at least I think that's what's happening).
This is one of my favorite songs with unusual time signatures. Some people can't stand her voice, but there are beautiful flaws and imperfections in this song that stand out to me. Not many modern songwriters play the harpsichord, and I love how you can hear her slip up a little bit. And the way she's playing two different meters at the end (called a hemiola) is just my favorite.
According to Claude.ai:
- The song operates primarily in 6/8 — six eighth notes per bar, grouped as two sets of three.
- Her penchant for polyrhythms on earlier recordings — with "Peach, Plum, Pear" being explicitly cited as a prime example — comes from a mix of classical, African, and South American harp music, with its focus on texture and syncopation.
- What's happening rhythmically (especially in the extended instrumental section near the end) is a hemiola — which is a specific type of polyrhythm where 6/8 and 3/4 are effectively played simultaneously.
