The Milk-Eyed Mender received widespread critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, earning Newsom several accolades that same year and by the end of the decade.

MacKenzie Wilson of AllMusic gave the album a favorable review, stating, "Newsom's childlike voice brings an unstudied grace to an innocent setting of songs, and such quirkiness is hard to find among most guitar-driven indie acts. Delicate harp arrangements are nicely sprinkled among specks of pianos, organs, and a harpsichord, only adding to the fascination that is Milk-Eyed Mender. Newsom exists in several musical spheres, one being a member of The Pleased, while not forgetting how wonderful it is to live in a warm place that leaves you bright-eyed and hopeful for only what is good in life." The website also named "Peach, Plum, Pear" the 197th Greatest Song of the 2000s (decade) and "Sprout & The Bean" the 229th. Slant Magazine named the album the 83rd best album of its decade. The Milk-Eyed Mender was also ranked number 76 inside Tiny Mix Tapes's greatest records of the 2000s (decade) list.

According to The New York Times, The Milk-Eyed Mender has sold more than 200,000 copies in the U.S., despite not charting.

Accolades

End of year

  • No. 1 – Dusted End of the Year: 2004
  • No. 5 – The A.V. Club's Best Albums of 2004
  • No. 5 – College Music Journal Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 8 – Sonic's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 8 – Gaffa's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 10 – Pitchfork Media's Top 50 Albums of 2004
  • No. 11 – Les Inrockuptibles's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 12 – Blitz's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 17 – Stylus Magazine's Top 40 Albums of 2004
  • No. 20 – Village Voice's 2004 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll
  • No. 20 – PopMatters's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 20 – Rough Trade's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 21 – No Ripcord's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 25 – BOOMKAT's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 28 – Dagsavisen's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 37 – Americana UK's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 40 – Spin's Top 40 Best Albums of the 2004
  • No. 45 – Rock de Lux's Top Albums of 2004
  • No. 48 – NME's Top Albums of 2004
  • No Order – Rolling Stone's Top 50 Records of 2004
  • No. 83 – Slant Magazine's Best of the Aughts
  • No. 88 – Treble's Best Albums of the '00s
  • No. 162 – Under the Radar's Best Albums of the '00s

Other

  • No. 54 – Porcy's Top 100 Albums of 2000–04
  • No. 54 – Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Albums of 2000–04
  • No. 89 – Amazon.com's Top 100 Indie Albums of All Time Amazon.com's 100 Best Indie Rock Albums of All Time.

Track listing

Personnel

  • Joanna Newsom – vocals, harp, harpsichord, acoustic piano, wurlitzer electric piano
  • Noah Georgeson – producer
  • Emily Prince – artwork
  • Alissa Anderson – photography

References

  • Drag City, album entry in label catalog
  • Lyrics, from review site