So maybe, now that I’ve been through the entire album, I should offer up some final conclusions about this album.
First, Have One On Me is incredibly consistent; seriously, there isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s a testament to Newsom’s songwriting ability that even the tracks that go longer than they should have a melodic spark that keeps them from ever going stale.
Newsom’s only failure here is to self-edit. Without an overarching concept or theme to tie the three albums together, it seems pointless to have released them all at once. Why not space them out so that listeners could focus their attention on just one at a time? Or, even better, get really critical and pare the songs that are good but not stellar down to a truly amazing double album, or a pair of single ones.
But it’s okay: What Newsom lacks in self-control she makes up for with track sequencing that could only be the work of someone who composes and arranges music. Her skillful hand in the matter ensured not only that none of the three discs was a dud, but that each of the discs was given a beginning, middle, and end. Each disc of Have One On Me works both as a single entity and as part of the greater album, which is important for fans who just don’t have two hours to spend hunkered down with it.
Have One On Me is more a showcase for Newsom’s consistency and immense talent than a superb, insular work of art. It doesn’t quite match the heights hit by previous album Ys, but that’s okay: Newsom has proven that she’s here to stay, and the next album could be her masterstroke.
Overall: 81/100
