I've decided to talk about PJ Harvey because she just released a new cd, White Chalk. She is a rock star, the old way. An interesting member of stardom. She became famous with her LP Dry, released when she was 22. Some of her hits include Dress, Sheela-Na-Gig, To bring you my love, Down by the water, Send his love to me, Big exit, Good Fortune, The mess we're in (featuring Thom Yorke from Radiohead), This is love...Polly Jean sings as a hurt cat. I don't mean she whines ans shrieks annoyingly. What I mean is that she's a wild sexy pussycat with a mini-skirt and a microphone, crying for love and understanding, most of the time. Don't expect many layers in her music, she's kinda raw. And powerful. And energetic, uncontrollable, untamed. Although not always: her last but one LP, Uh huh her, was close to crap. Almost everyone agreed on that one. The good news is that her latest cd, White Chalk, has generated all but unanimity. She has raised the pitch of her voice, changed the guitar for the piano, and sings her new songs quietly, as if in a long, peaceful hangover. Being very different from her previous cds, this is the kind of album that some consider her best and most intimate while others are left wondering what the hell is wrong with her. But that's good, see, because unanimity rarely means genius and more often than not means boring, lame. This cd shows that Polly Jean is changing, like the sea, the landscapes, like each of us. And that, for her music, can only be healthy.
Here goes my favourite PJ's song, Down by the water (don't miss the guy playing the guitar with a knife):
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