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.
