[hevusa]

Originally Posted by Decayed Rhapsody

The first thing I thought was "Arcade Fire could very well have written the same song and I would detest it."

How do you figure it sounds like Arcade Fire?? Arcade Fire is a like a gay version of Bruce Springsteen.
I don't see it.

[Genteel Death]

Tried to like the songs I've heard. Somehow I found them irritating, including the movement of her mouth on those videos. I think she's tackling the subject in a redundant manner that would please tourists or something.

[Derek]

a gay version of bruce springsteen?

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by Derek

a gay version of bruce springsteen?

It seems like Arcade Fire has fooled almost everyone under 30. they are just a modern, artsy version of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
http://rock.about.com/od/top10lists/...steenBands.htm

But I guess that could work for some people. I just don't care for Bruce's music much I guess. I do, however, like modern, artsy versions of Sonic Youth (blonde redhead, mogwai, etc).

[knox]

Originally Posted by Decayed Rhapsody

There's a vid of her playing Last Living Rose last year with an Airliner guitar live and it sounds way better than the studio version. The Glorious Land is sort of corny, and The Words That Maketh Murder, despite being catchy as fuck, gets a bit taxing with that "United Nations" line (even if it is an Eddie Cochran rip). The first thing I thought was "Arcade Fire could very well have written the same song and I would detest it." So I gotta be honest, I'm not always down for the aesthetic she's going for with this and I was worried she was turning into a dreadful Joanna Newsom lite, or entering her own "Nocturama" doldrums, or fancying herself a woodland nymph comely faerie queen on this album, BUT:

After hearing clips of the entire record, I have to say... Damn, these are her most memorable melodies since Is This Desire. I am always partial to roaring 4-Track Demos rage, but On Battleship Hill is exquisite. She sounds like a siren and at her most English. All these hack writers mythologize about her traipsing around Dorset cliffs like some Victorian spinster and this is the first time that image is really evoked. Fuck you, Bat for Lashes. I love All & Everyone and England, at least from what I can glean. The vaguely political lyrics aren't really important. The songs hint at being very strong and somewhat traditional without sounding too safe. Fuck you, Bat for Lashes. All the bluesey American-isms are gone and she's come full circle, I think. One of the few rock artists who has evolved without making too many glaring missteps. Most of my friends lost interest after To Bring You My Love, but fuck em, if I was actively creating music I'd probably get bored of noisy rock after a while too.

Listen here: http://www.qobuz.com/album/let-england-shake-pj-harvey/0060252762660?utm_source=cj_catalog&utm_medium=aff iliation&utm_campaign=cat_general_musicstory

Click 'ecouter les extraits.'

I still hope she busts out some of the early rockers on tour like she did in 2007. When I saw her she was playing solo - guitar, piano, autoharp, synth. That show remains one of the live highlights of my life.

I can't help but thinking how wonderful "to bring you my love" "is this desire" "rid of me" and "dry" were. From "uh huh her" onwards I felt I couldn't relate so much, as if there was something missing, or maybe I'm being bias because I love those previous albums so much. Not to say they aren't good albums, they all are but I just wasn't that fascinated.

Except for her last album with Parish "a woman a man walked by" which to me sounds a million times better than any of her last songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQPkLPqEgIE

Saw them in London last April and it was one of the best gigs I have ever been to.

[Mortte Jousimo]

I love her all albums but I think she´s golden period started with "To Bring you my love" and it has continued since then!

[knox]

I never managed to listen to "uh huh her" or "white chalk" from start to finish.

[keep poppin pimples]

white chalk is one of the best imo

[krastian]

Yeah, I loved White Chalk....I love all her stuff though.

[Mortte Jousimo]

Originally Posted by knox

I never managed to listen to "uh huh her" or "white chalk" from start to finish.

I love both albums very very much!

[Torn Curtain]

"Uh huh her" has really grown on me (at the beginning I didn't like it very much apart from 3 or 4 songs), on the other hand "White chalk" bores me.

[bloodcrystallisetosand]

4-Track Demos is like the sex I always wanted but have never been able to have.

[hipster_bebop_junkie]

On Dazed Digital's January playlist you can hear the studio version of PJ Harvey's song, "Let England Shake".

Link:
http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/ar...-2011-playlist

Also, there's a 5 track sample of the album in this blog:
http://januarysunday.blogspot.com/20...t-england.html

[hipster_bebop_junkie]

PJ Harvey video interview with the NME:
http://www.nme.com/nme-video/pj-harv...e/761243694001

[SuperCreep]

new album is streaming on NPR now:

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/06/133495...e?sc=fb&cc=fmp

[SONIC GAIL]

thanx for the link i will listen

[SONIC GAIL]

Damn better than I had expected

[Decayed Rhapsody]

On Battleship Hill could be in a film. Maybe the rest of this will grow on me. I like All and Everyone and England as well.

[krastian]

Originally Posted by SuperCreep

new album is streaming on NPR now:

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/06/133495...e?sc=fb&cc=fmp

Thanks for the link!

[SonicBebs]

love her to bits.

but i only just realised that White Chalk was a reference to the Dover/South Coast cliffs and not white chalk lines around a dead body....