release date: May 31, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: PJ Harvey
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "The Life and Death of Mr Badmouth" - 2. "Shame" - 3. "Who the Fuck" (4 / 5) (live on Later) - 4. "Pocket Knife" - 5. "The Letter" (4 / 5) (live on Later) - 9. "You Come Through" - 10. "It's You" (live) - 14. "The Darker Days of Me and Him" (4 / 5)
6th studio album by PJ Harvey released on Island Records and produced by Harvey herself. The album is a return to what she found a strength on 4-Track Demos (1993), which basically was herself playing, singing and producing. From various interviews and articles it seems like she felt trapped in the studio sessions prior to this. The albums To Bring You My Love (1995), Is This Desire? (1998), and Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000) had been difficult and hard work with many people involved in the finalising process - not just several producers but also engineers and studio musicians, so she wanted more control of her music, and this is almost done like her demo album with herself playing all instruments apart from drums, which were added and played by Rob Ellis after her own recordings like were some backing vocals. In this way, it's like a produced version of her own demo takes.
At first, I found it a strange and lesser release, but it's actually more than just fine. I understand this progress as I also feel that her 2000 album was slightly overproduced for her style and it didn't focus on her musical strengths but in a sense amplified and extended her natural soundscape beyond necessary. The album comes out like a more straight, simple, raw, but also an open and "tender" work compared to her most raw and simple album releases Dry (1992) and 4-Track Demos (1993).
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]
