8.6
On the opening lines of the dramatic epic track off PJ Harvey’s latest work Let England Shake entitled “All and Everyone”: “Death was everywhere/In the air/And in the sounds”. Those couple of few lines sums up the theme of Let England Shake; death, terror, war, and so forth. This unsettling theme sets up England as a tremendous, emotional ride that transcends anything that PJ Harvey has ever put out.
Polly Jean has always been one coming straight out of left-field in the alternative rock ballpark and that quality sets her apart so distinctively. Instead of going for another piano-driven effort like previous LP White Chalk, PJ goes into what she calls a “grand departure from anything before”. That is always a great reassurance when delving into a prominent artist’s new work like PJ. Changes include her unique change of vocal style focusing on a more “narrator” style, also the heavy use of the autoharp, which she just started playing, the autoharp creates a beautiful, progressive feeling towards the songs it is used in like the highlight track “The Words that Maketh Murder”.
With all these interesting changes in PJ’s musicianship, I couldn’t wait to delve into Let England Shake. I wasn’t disappointed with was PJ came up with. Kicking things off with a very playful, almost sinister aesthetic to the sound; immediately, it’s apparent that PJ’s vocals are something everyone will have to get used to, it’s a bit of an acquired taste. After multiple listens PJ’s distinctive voice will sink in and you’ll be thoroughly appreciative of it. Along with PJ’s unique vocals, assorted horns and orchestrations swell up and inflate the hallow space that is present when they aren’t playing.
Let England Shake is dark and haunting, but it doesn’t exactly sound like that. It sounds very hallow and earthy. The middle chunk of the album has the most daunting images surrounding them with lines like “I’ve seen soldiers fall like lumps of meat…Arms and legs were in the trees,” from the track “The Words that Maketh Murder”. Though these images are unsettling, there are realistic since she mirrors soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. The album really lightens up in sound, but not in theme. The waltzy “Hanging In the Wire” has a beautiful piano line that works on top of the dismissive, yet important rhythm sections.
With the occasional bad spot that Let England Shake hits like over-exuberant vocals on “England” are almost eye cringing, but aren’t all bad since it create a very rich alt-folk track. With those few blemishes put aside, Let England Shake is a tremendous album that deserves all the praise it is getting even how overzealous it may be.
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