It’s a given that PJ Harvey has created some of the most intensely personal albums of the last 20 years. Her biting lyricism and stinging guitar riffs resonated with the feelings of alienation and anger felt by her fans. From the most intimately private revelations to her strong-willed insistence of her own independence, Polly Jean Harvey has never shied away from those subjects that she felt most strongly about. Yet most of her previous releases, though monuments to the deconstruction of her personal psychology, dealt with just that, the examinations of her own view of the world and her place in it, or lack thereof and didn’t necessarily deal with subjects on a larger scale. On her latest release, she has commanded a much larger stage in which to lay out her confessions and accusations with equal fervor. Needless to say, the idea that an artist can delineate guilt and innocence among the atrocities of war and the emotional fragility of those involved has remained an enduring and alluring challenge to musicians. It allows an artist a grand tapestry in which to paint the details of the human response in dramatically vivid ways as to allow the full weight of the affair to be presented without gloss or distraction.
On Let England Shake, Harvey details the lives of the people who lived through this tramatic time in history and the repurcussions still felt from it today. Using the full weight of her intimidating wit and tenacious understanding of what makes a song feel lived-in and ultimately forceful, she demonstrates remarkable clarity in revealing the often clouded details of a horrific period of time, complete with piercing accusations and harrowing depictions of indifference. And through all of this acute seriousness, Let England Shake manages to resonate with a blackly humorous streak, a grim smile which harbors secrets better left unsaid. "The Words That Maketh Murder" explains that the hopes and aspirations of people and organizations who tried to prevent another global war were mostly foolish and ill-conceived, though possibly less downright incompetent than overly naive. Harvey and fellow co-conspirators Mick Harvey and John Parish allow these songs to expand and contract naturally, allowing the somber material room to find its footing, to connect with the listener on more than just a superficial level. Harvey wants us to feel these songs, to see what those people saw and understand, or not, the reasons behind it all. Other tracks like "The Last Living Rose" with its forcefully determined resolve and the fragile "Hanging In The Wire" showcase the versatility with which Harvey approaches this material. And in a larger context, these songs could well be comparable to other wars--as is the case with the Iraq-referencing "Written On The Forehead--that have shaped the current generation of her listeners. Harvey respects the history that she so poignantly and passionately dissects while also allowing her frustration of what was allowed to happen run freely across these tracks. She sings fully, wrapping her vocals carefully around each instrument, approaching a perfect balance of force and persuasion. If only it was that simple with everything.
Tracklisting:
01. Let England Shake
02. The Last Living Rose
03. The Glorious Land
04. The Words That Maketh Murder (listen to the mp3 below)
05. All and Everyone
06. On Battleship Hill
07. England
08. In the Dark Places
09. Bitter Branches
10. Hanging In the Wire
11. Written On the Forehead
12. The Colour Of the Earth
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