Since releasing her 2004 debut album, "The Milk-Eyed Mender," the 25-year-old musician has dealt with an irritating stream of words describing her -- elfin, childlike, chirpy, twee -- that diminish the complexity and singularity of her music. It's mostly because of that voice, a hyperbolically girlish soprano often compared to Björk's but more reminiscent of forgotten jazz babies such as Ruth Etting. Her singing frees Newsom from the yoke of personal authenticity, helping transform her songs from confessions into golden tales. But it can also distract from her equally startling song structures and lyrics.

This stop on Newsom's first American tour with strings (featuring a local chamber ensemble on each of its six dates) put her voice in its proper place.