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10 songs that feel like Sawdust & Diamonds

Matched to Sawdust & Diamonds by Joanna Newsom on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

The song you love
Sawdust & Diamonds
Joanna Newsom
moderate 50/100 intensity 85 BPM
Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore — Celine Dion moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same transcendent pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

Magnificat, RV 610 — Antonio Vivaldi moderate 80 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

Carnage — Nick Cave & Warren Ellis moderate 85 BPM

Keeps the same transcendent pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Ancestress — Björk moderate 85 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

Connected by Love — Jack White moderate 85 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

My Red Little Fox — Sufjan Stevens moderate 72 BPM

93% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Same layered texture.

Guts Over Fear — Eminem moderate 85 BPM

Keeps the same transcendent pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Cleopatra — The Lumineers moderate 85 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

Spirit — Beyoncé moderate 85 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same transcendent pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Come Rain or Come Shine — Ray Charles moderate 90 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Sawdust & Diamonds is more than you want right now.

Someday We'll Be Together by The Supremes
Someday We'll Be Together — The Supremes safe 100 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 33/100, down from 50.

Aeon by Antony and the Johnsons
Aeon — Antony and the Johnsons safe 70 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 15/100 — the pull without the edge.

Photograph by Ed Sheeran
Photograph — Ed Sheeran safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 16/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Let Her Go by Passenger
Let Her Go — Passenger safe 75 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 19/100, versus the original's 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Chega de Saudade by Joao Gilberto
Chega de Saudade — Joao Gilberto safe 100 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 14/100, down from 50.

The Boy with the Arab Strap by Belle and Sebastian
The Boy with the Arab Strap — Belle and Sebastian safe 90 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 17/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sodade by Cesaria Evora
Sodade — Cesaria Evora safe 70 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 19/100.

You're Beautiful by James Blunt
You're Beautiful — James Blunt safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 30/100, versus the original's 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Sawdust & Diamonds” by Joanna Newsom?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore” by Celine Dion, “Magnificat, RV 610” by Antonio Vivaldi, “Carnage” by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “Sawdust & Diamonds” but calmer?

“Someday We'll Be Together” by The Supremes, “Aeon” by Antony and the Johnsons, “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Sawdust & Diamonds”?

It measures 50/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 85 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 62% of songs, calmer than the other 38%. Its intensity reading of 50/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 77% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout3/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype4/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

2006 in context

The 252 songs we’ve measured from 2006 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 7/10, this track is right in line with its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity50
Dynamics67
Tempo25
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load0

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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