Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

Belle découverte !

I had only vaguely known the name PJ Harvey, but this was my first time listening to her, and it turned out to be the kind of alternative rock I enjoy. If it had continued with simple rock like the first few songs, I think I would have gotten tired of it, but there was enough diversity that I was able to listen to it with enjoyment all the way through.

It's only been a couple of years since I went through her discography and it's hard to find an album that you could consider a weak entry. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea isn't among my favourite PJ Harvey albums, but it's still a damn good one. PJ Harvey is always looking for new ways to evolve and this album is no different. It's a step in a more mainstream direction, but it's nevertheless a very good set of songs. It doesn't reach quite the same heights as Rid Of Me and To Bring You My Love, but that's a tough ask for any album, in my opinion. The collaboration with Thom Yorke is not as great as one would expect it to be. Both tracks are very solid, though. It's funny how much Horses In My Dreams sounds like a Radiohead track with no involvement from Thom Yorke, though.

Album #80 PJ Harvey: Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea One of the finest singer-songwriter albums of the 90s/2000s. There really is no better soundscape for walking through a bustling city during the day. This is definitely a loft softer than her other work, but I feel like she adapts well to this sound and creates possibly her best album. Thom Yorke, who is famously stingy with features, even going so far as snubbing Paul McCartney, makes two appearances here, so you know that the album must be good. Best Songs: We Float, Good Fortune, This Mess We’re In Worst Song: Kamikaze Score out of 10: 9

oh yeah this was sick

I liked it, some songs more than others. I'll have to go through it again to see which were which, since i listened to it while running places.

this one's being added to my library immediately. i've always vaguely planned to listen to some pj harvey at some point & never got to it so i'm so glad it got assigned i rly rly like this album!! have been listening to it the entire day. thom yorke jumpscare (positive)

she's like Fiona apple for interesting people

Bra flow. Man kommer in i PJs värld efter några lyssningar.

I liked this better than I thought I would have. It's somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me, but I'm gonna give it a 4. I like her voice, I like the urgency she sings with. I like the instruments for the most part. The strong tracks outweigh the weaker ones. I'm assuming "Rid of Me" is on this list somewhere, I look forward to listening to it when it comes up.

Look at the cover of this album, then check out the cover of “The Hot Rock” by Sleater-Kinney which was released a year earlier. They are clearly going down a similar road. It’s hard to believe the packaging is a coincidence when the vibe sounds so (wonderfully) similar. These two albums fit nicely together, whether the match was made in heaven or on earth. I’m a fan of both.

Somehow, when PJ Harvey shows her softer side, she still comes on very strong. I love the power and strength projected on this album. It really is a toned down version of other works, but it is still undeniably PJ. It may be her best album for me.

She comes off very, very cool all throughout this. Such confident record

She's so cool!

I like the beautiful moody energy. if it’s supposed to capture the banality of urban landscapes - it succeeds

So so good. Only familiar with one of her songs before this but it's all so varied but just as strong.

Keep just hearing PJ as Patti Smith. Gonna listen to some of her other stuff until I can hear her for herself. 4 as a placeholder for now.

This was dope. Soulful 2000s rock, nicr vocals, nice instrumentation. Flows together nicely, almost too nicely... didn't even realize the album had restarted until I was 7 songs deep on my 2nd listen. Kinda gives me Verve vibes, especially when the male vocalist chimes in.

LOVED THE 2000s VIBES. Will be back

Dark, slow, dreamy

If you see Polly Jean's name you know you're going to be in for , at minimum, a half decent album or just generally great. This one is no exception. It's more traditional rock than other albums in her collection but that is not a weakness. The tunes are big, the emotions are bigger. Feel as overwhelmed with them as PJ obviously was when she was writing this tunes. Best Tracks: Big Exit; Good Fortune; Kamikaze

Good tunes by and in the style of PJH

First time listening to to a pj Harvey album. So stark and beautiful.

prefiero sus otros albums pero obviamente no le voy a poner un 2

"The Call of Duty another Warzone" PJ Harvey PREDICTS battle royale gaming surge 20 years in the past Apparently Nick Cave wrote Into My Arms about her 2 Thom Yorkes YAZOO!

something keeps me wanting to relisten, and maybe it’s because i’m not paying good enough attention, but i’ve had to relisten 4 separate times. i think i really like it?

i listened to this album a bunch when i was considering breaking up with my college boyfriend .

4.5

Overall, it sounded to me like a darker version of The Pretenders. PJ sounded a lot like Chrissy Hind all over this album. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

por fin una mujer en solitario en un album de estos. me hizo gracia como ella subio el album justo el primer día de los 2000.

Listening session: february 9th, while commuting to internship Listened to before: no Thoughts: PJ, I was not familiar with your game. And Thom Yorke brings this album to an even higher level Favourite tracks: A Place Called Home, Beautiful Feeling & This Mess We’re In

Good album! Favorite is We Float, but enjoyed the whole album.

The antidote to Taylor Swift. Great songs with creativity and genuine edge.

This was an unexpected gem. Many of the songs sounded familiar likely from air play. I favorited 4 songs which is high for a first time listen. I will be back for repeat listens to this one. 4/5

i LOVE pj harvey!!! i got into her way back when i was 14, all because of this album. i believe others from her discography hit harder and resonate more with me though. other than that it's a solid album ps make sure to listen to the hidden track (this wicked tongue)

Love the collaborations with Thom Yorke. PJ Harvey is just downright good. Have nothing else to say about this one. Great indie rock album.

Le donne della classifica sono qui per un motivo

Remember the buzz around PJ Harvey from when I was a kid, but never picked up on it. Sounds great, and now I see where Sahara Hotnights were coming from.

Solid album, before she went a bit too weird for me with her next offerings.

Much more accessible and approachable than the last PJH offering. Scraped a 4 for the first half, but got stronger as the album progressed. Landed on a comfortable 4.

Fantastic album, that goes in the rotation

Sophisticated PJ, but she’s always great

Actually prefered the other album but this is also good! Love the thom yorke feature here.

I've been listening to PJ Harvey for quite some time now. She regularly appears in my stream, which is how I became aware of her. So far, I've liked everything I've heard from her. However, nothing from this album has really stuck with me. It's okay, but not outstanding. 4/5

I was excited to jump into this album today. She is an artist I have ignored in the past, not for any reason other than laziness. I've already gotten Let England Shake from the generator and liked it a lot, but I knew it wasn't indicative of all of her music. So I felt confident I'd really enjoy this listen. The only unfortunate part of listening today is that my drive to work (when I typically get to play the album of the day) required more focus due to snowy conditions and a detour thanks to a road closure from said snow. Mostly I was listening and not able to truly pay attention to the lyrics, but it is what it is. I came away really liking what I heard. Someone commented on her sounding like Chrissy Hynde and I totally got that same feel, and that is a definite plus in my book. There were more standout songs than ones I didn't care for. The ones I really loved were This Mess We're In, You Said Something, and We Float (fantastic). I'm not sure I'd be able to give it a five star rating, but it's a very strong four.

Apprécié pour la profondeur des textes (à explorer davantage). 3,5/5

First album from an artist I’m completely unfamiliar with. I have heard the name, don’t think I know anything by her. To start off it’s rock heavy. Sound is kinda timeless rock. Could be late 70s or late 90s. Good Fortune is great. Enjoying it through the first half. Her voice has a great sound for rock music. Wow this gets really interesting. The Thom Yorke song is great. You Said Something is fantastic. Loving a lot of these songs. Kamikaze sounds like 90s grunge. For a first listen to an artist I’ve never heard before, I’m really enjoying this. Horses in My Dreams is probably my least favorite song here. A good album needs a re-listen and I think I’ll give this a re listen. This is feeling like a solid 4. Wishes it was a song or two shorter here on re-listen, but think I’ll stick with a 4. Really like it.

very edgy rock gritty raah I acc quite liked it. Fiona Apple esque which I liked and I’ll probs have to give it a re listen for any songs that stick out

A sadder, more thoughtful Chrissie Hynde.

Хороший альбом. Можна брати на вінілі.

Forgot how good this is, lush production and instrumentation

I was familiar w her earlier offerings, which are much more brash and raw - this, however, is a revelation, applying her sharply described observations to something she loves and believes in. It makes for an album that captures the mess and gloriousness of love at the same time, and is accessible without losing its bite.

this mess we're in 2000 united kingdom alternative rock

Super

I love PJ Harvey, but I would have picked something different for this list. Let England Shake and To Bring You My Love are better albums, in my opinion. Her voice is so evocative and she and Thom Yorke make an interesting duet.

YEAH!! This rocked so hard. Love her voice, the raw grunge, the vibe, everything. "The Whore Hustlers..." and "This is love" really captured my attention. I actually did not like the one with Thom Yorke (surprise surprise, not the biggest radiohead fan) even though that's the most streamed song on the album. "Horses in my Dreams" was surprisingly very powerful to me too. 7/10

Really enjoyed this. So much that I played it twice.

I really enjoyed this. PJ Harvey is among the musicians I've known of but never really listened to--for no defensible reason I can think of. I'm only one listen in, but I think this may enter my regular listening with additional listens. There's depth and a musicality I like.

Sometimes it feels/felt like PJ was writing songs to be edgy rather than a songwriter. But there are plenty of songs I genuinely like here.

Several good songs on this album that make you want to listen more. 4 stars or B.

Wonderful

This might be my favorite PJ record. Just ragged enough an edge but also has a glow radiating from it. The Patti Smithisms are unhidden, but why would you hide it if you got it?

A revelation. Added to my library to listen again in future. Very enjoyable.

Better than I remember it being. Still too much NY talk but pretty good

Rock & Roll Girl Storyteller Thrums Life Does grunge like the best of them & writes lyrically Good Fortune - I feel like a bird of paradise - you share in her love story. This Mess We’re In - masterful pairing w/Thom Yorke - builds to a romantic crescendo just like the story being told. Some of the album repeats itself.

Solid

Неожиданно хороший

The whores hustle and the hustlers whore, kamikaze, and this is love were AWESOME!!!! I like the vibe of the album and the guitar is generally pretty great, my only qualm is the singer’s voice just isn’t my absolute favorite but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the album. Also thom yorke features!!

Great one

Veldig bra!

90s Patti smith vibes SLAPPED. Been on my listen list since 5th grade if you can believe

Very good voice, enjoyed listening to the album. Good fortune was maybe my favourite, but overall would recommend the album.

I like it in general. A bit to melancholic at times. I like the songs with Thom Yorke and I like the songs that feel a bit more like punk with heavier instruments.

Both delicate and powerful

Pretty solid rock album. Not my favorite, but still pretty good.

Quite accessible Peej but its impact is no lesser. Amazing elliptical song structures.

idk, great voice, great agony with a bit of anger, great album overall, I felt it a little bit mono thematic and boring. felt it was a less interesting version of björk. I probably need another listen on a better day really liked the collab with Thom Yorke

KAMIKAZEEEE

Most of the songs on here are banners. There's a couple that are so so but this is good enough for four stars

pj harvey is legit.

Another PJ Harvey banger. The first album I had from her in this project was "Let England Shake" which was frankly terrible. Since then, I've had Rid of Me and now this album - both much better! This is another solid rock record. I don't know if PJ is on my all-time greats list, but a solid 4/5 for sure.

vindictive petty bitch music i love it Would I listen again? No Deserves to be on this list? Yes 4.3

I really enjoyed this album. The vibe gave night out with friends, very early-2000s Gossip Girl energy, just going out, hanging out, and existing in the moment. While I didn’t love every single song, the album as a whole really clicked with me. The music felt fun and confident. It’s an album I could genuinely see myself returning to and putting on when the mood fits, and I connected with it.

I enjoyed the album but I couldn’t pick a song that I loved

I really don’t understand why we don’t celebrate PJ Harvey more, a warm emotive voice, a great guitar player and genuinely a generational songwriter. Both political and personal at the same time, like little short stories

At the Electric Picnic music festival in 2006, the excitement had gotten too much for me. I was a bit "worse for wear", but as soon as PJ Harvey came out on stage I immediately snapped out of it, sobered up by her presence. It wasn't the first time I'd seen PJ Harvey live. We saw her earlier in 2004 at Oxegen, striding across the stage in a bright yellow dress with her full band. But the Electric Picnic gig was particularly special because Polly played solo, with just her electric guitar and piano. It was intimate and huge at the same time, one of the best concerts I've ever been lucky enough to attend. She's truly an exceptional artist. She first came onto my radar because of this album and the buzz surrounding it, but also because, as a Radiohead fan, I kept seeing mentions of the Thom Yorke collaborations on this album being passed around on forums (along with UNKLE's "Rabbit in Your Headlights"). I used to read Q Magazine as a teenager, back when it still felt like a serious source of music journalism, and in 2001 they featured PJ Harvey on the cover. I was *ahem* quite enamoured with the photo. Polly was wearing just a t-shirt, underwear, heels, and a Gretsch Broadkaster, held up against her like a shield. Her arms were raised behind her head, hair pulled back, with the lyric "Lick my legs" emblazoned across her shirt. Below the guitar, her legs were deliberately foregrounded, presented for licking, the image becoming a visualisation of the line itself. It was provocative and mischievous, but with her eyes locked straight into the lens, she had a look that made it clear that she was entirely in control of the narrative. There was no sense of sexual exploitation here. It was a striking image, one that always reminds me of Patti Smith in the suit on the cover of Horses: different imagery, same refusal to be framed passively. This was the first PJ Harvey album I bought, and I was an instant fan. "Big Exit" is a huge song. That guitar riff, what an album opener. It builds with a driving drum rhythm, Polly's spoken-word (or should that be "shouted-word"?) verses pushing it forward before everything crashes into the chorus and that crescendo of an ending. The punk poetry of the song reminds me again of Patti Smith, someone Polly consistently brings to mind, which makes it feel fitting that they share a space together in the "P" section of record shops. "Beautiful Feeling" is haunting and minimalist. Thom Yorke sits somewhere in the atmosphere of the song, but it's essentially just Polly and a single electric guitar, letting the song itself do the heavy lifting. "This Is Love" is built around one of the all-time great riffs. It's so simple and minimal, but so effective. Coupled with Polly's snarling vocals, it's pure punk perfection. Then we get to "Horses In My Dreams". Like "Beautiful Feeling" before it, it's quiet, simple, and gorgeous. Again, I feel similarities to Patti Smith here, so it seems relevant that she's singing about horses. That closing repeated chorus of "I have pulled myself clear" is one of the most beautiful refrains in music, full stop. I don't think I fully appreciated the song until I saw Polly perform it live, alone onstage at the Electric Picnic: just herself, her guitar, a single spotlight, and a red lampshade resting on a piano in the background. The crowd silent, in awe. Years later, I still hear the album through the lens of those live performances - the noise of Oxegen, the quiet of the Electric Picnic. Together, they sum it up perfectly, juxtaposing loud punk energy with moments of quiet intensity. 4.5 stars.

Growing on me

Surprisingly good

I had heard of PJ Harvey before but never a song, only passing mentions so this was definetly a good discovery, I will give it a relisten another day. Favourite songs: A Place Called Home, The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore, The Mess We're In, This Is Love

Vibey, big Fiona Apple vibes. Did not expect Thom Yorke to show up halfway through? Good times though.

A full listen, some 25 years after release, at first sounds flat--too smooth. I think I anticipated a grungier, nostalgic sound from the 90s. Something as jarring and haunting as Harvey's older song 'To Bring You My Love' (soundtrack to Peaky Blinders). But this is limiting to an artist who has spent her career defying easy categorization. In isolation, re-listens of select songs reveal more. 'This is Love' is affirms the visceral now: "I can't believe life is so complex / when I just want to sit here and watch you undress." 'This Mess We're In' interleaves a chaotic relationship with a NYC cityscape in flux. Thom Yorke joins to croon on opening verse, "Can you hear them? The helicopters?" while Harvey drives the memorable refrain: "The city sun-set over me." 'Horses In My Dreams' is a kind of sound painting, taken at a hypnotic, pounding tempo--"like waves, like the sea" indeed. In a 2023 New Yorker interview, Harvey says that Scottish poet laureate Robert Burns was "one of the few [artists] that could write brilliant songs and brilliant poems." 'Horses in My Dreams' starts to achieve something Burns-like. In that mesmeric repeated line, "I have pulled myself clear," there are horses, the ocean, struggle, and transcendence. A moment for framing. What's happening when one critiques an album? At the age of 41, I find I'm listening now with curiosity but also an increasingly provincial guardedness and gatekeeping. I'm less generous than when trying, say, new cuisine--though in so many ways music is as universal and as sustaining as food. I'm asking, how does Harvey fit into her time and place? How does she contribute something new? Do her geographies, the oceanscape of Dorset, the cityscapes of London and NYC show up authentically in some way? In critique (as in art and film and literature), we subject others to our taste, our interrogation, our own history. But while I notice my tendencies to circumscription and snobbery here, PJ Harvey reminds me of the refreshing opposite: the ever-searching, expansive soul. I give this album 4 stars.

I started listening to this over my computer speaker and was pretty underwhelmed. Then I booted my headphones and started over and enjoyed this a lot more. I'm not swooning over the lyrics, but the sound is really cool, and the Thom Yorke vocals complemented the album really well (but again, no swoon for the lyrics).

I really liked this, but returning to it, I'm not sure I can pick out any things I particularly liked. Parts of it felt like gender-bent radiohead, and then there was Thom Yorke. Good Rock-y vibes. I think this will be 4 stars. A part of me wanted to say 5, and maybe I'd get there eventually, but I'm not sure I have quite grasped the album enough in 2 listens for that.

There aren't really any standout hits on this album, in part because everything is just good. I appreciated this one and was glad to have had it pop up.

271225 15:37 4 / highlights: big exit, good fortune, this mess we're in

Surpsied at how much I enjoyed this album!!

Can't avoid PJ Harvey when we're having 3 weeks of her albums in a row. Probably not as good as Rid of Me - this is more poppy, grungey. Big Exit, Good Fortune, and The Whore Hustle and the Hustlers Whore are the standouts. Why do I avoid her?

An einem anderen Tag wärs vllt ne 5 geworden …

Echte Ausnahmekünstlerin, die ich für ihre Wandelbarkeit bewundere. Kann mich seit Jahren nicht entscheiden, ob dieses - ihr "schönstes" Album - oder "To Bring You My Love" mein Favorit von ihr ist.

Lightish voice complements darker lyrics and beats. I like this a lot.

8.5/10 Best songs: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, This Mess We're In, This Is Love The first album I actually own/have listened to before. Some of the songs are absolute must-listens (This Mess We're In and This Is Love are both still on my playlists today). A couple of the songs drag a bit (Horses in My Dreams). Overall a really, really solid album.

7/10 Great lyrically. So Patti Smith at times, but that's no bad thing

Solid through and through. Last song wrapped it up beautifully.

Melancholic and sad whilst still being uplifting. Songs and song structures are accessible, whilst still being unique and interesting.Great reverby and distorted tones on the guitars. I didn't know Thom Yorke would be making an appearance when i started playing the album. Pleasant surprise is an understatement. Their voices work together so well, creating a sort of beautiful, anxious mood. Really like We Float. I did Float. 8.5/10

I enjoyed this one

4.5 PJ Harvey is that bitch

No conocía ninguna de antes y me ha gustado en general bastante

PJ Harvey to jedno z moich ulubionych odkryć na tej liście (chociaż konkurencja jest spora). Wspaniała wokalistka. Ten album nie uderzył mnie aż tak jak jej debiutanckie "Dry", ale to chyba głównie przez to, jak wysoko postawiłem jej poprzeczkę po jej pierwszym albumie. Z każdym przesłuchaniem ten album staje się mi jednak coraz bliższy. Muzyka gra tu rolę drugoplanową, najważniejsze są opowieści Harvey i jej zawiesisty, otulający głos. Szczególne wyróżnienia dla "Big Exit", "A Place Called Home" i duetu z Thomem Yorkiem "This Mess We're In" (Yorke na poziomie lirycznym kojarzył mi się tu trochę z Morrisseyem.

Forgot how good this was. Need to get it back into rotation!

Dope ass album

This makes me want to dive deeper. Deserves more of my time. I prefer the slower moments reminiscent of Fiona Apple. 🍏

I have no idea what I was listening to in 2000, but it wasn’t this. We Float was my favorite track. Radiohead/Tori Amos sound. Probably won’t listen again, but did enjoy the quality songwriting and complex arrangements.

I liked this offering from PJ Harvey, kinda' missed her years ago. Jangle folk... i need to hear more, definitely going into regular rotation.

Not my typical jam but very good nonetheless. We float was really good. 3.8/5.

I actually liked this more than I thought I would. It had a mid-90s rock vibe that was on every track, which was not a bad thing.

81/100

I enjoyed some of the songs off this record. PJ's vocals are the main highlight here, a lot of confidence and personality.

I had only heard maybe a song or 2 in passing by PJ Harvey. I enjoyed this album. It got more ambitious & heavier as the the album goes on. The Thom Yorke tracks were good. I keep trying to compare her to somebody but PJ seems to have her own vaguely familiar sound. Like a grungy Tori Amos without the oversinging. This is Love is great. I dug Kamikaze. Not all the songs are winners but they are at least interesting like Float On. 4

A cool vibe to this one. 4 stars

always felt I'd like pj harvey but when listening always got something weird which switched me off. this album does it for me though

4/5 good songwriting enjoyable first listen

Really enjoyed the album. Good songs, well crafted. The guitar in This is Love really reminded me of Captain Beefheart!

Really enjoyed this, thom yorke guest vocals a nice touch

This one has me hooked, great talent. I've heard her songs, but never connected to them. I like that the album had a good constrast and feels pure.

Strong memories of listening to this being announced as the winner of the 2001 Mercury Prize on Radio 1 and all the interviewees being bummed out because it was September 11 (my personal pick for that year was Elbow's Asleep in the Back, but this is still great).

Enjoyed

Should probably have listened to this before. It was good. I’ll probably explore more by her.

4.1

A pretty phenomenal album. Such talent.

no Albini on this one, though Thom Yorke shows up a few times. i understand that zoomers don't care about lyrics and songwriting very much, but it's kind of sad seeing the artists losing stock because of that. and admittedly the alt rock instrumentals are just good and nothing mindblowing. the writing sells it. and PJ Harvey is a good singer as well. deserves to be one of the 1001? probably yeah. she's one of the most important British acts in her scene after all

I have never seen this album cover or heard of this artist before. A great way to take a break from my doom scrolling for the last hour or so. First Listen Takeaways: Track 1 - Big Exit: I like the electric guitar (or what I think is an electric guitar). I like the grit in her vocals, it feels a little bit like desperation. I don't know if it's due to the mixing of the vocals so it feels as if you're going through a tunnel and the mic is reverbed. It's angsty but I need another word...tense. can you be tense and content in the same body? "Sometimes it rains so hard/and I feel the hurt/in my heart" I think that's a part of the bridge, but that's how I feel right now. Track 2 - Good Fortune: I'm kind of just dropped into the track, a journey through the city, that's what I feel like when she does those vocal slides/vibratos (or at least that is what I believe them to be). "Everybody's got something good to say" Track 3 - A Place Called Home: I like that there are differing vocal stacks happening in m headphones at different times. This was an album made to be listened to with headphones. I can hear the hope and yearning she has about this current relationship she's in (after reading the lyrics of course). Also, I like the single cover for this track. She's crouched down behind some door, looking up at the camera, and it appears as though the wrists of her hand are wrapped lazily around the door handle. It feels liminal. I like liminal spaces. Why? Maybe the way I describe and think about music can include reflecting on the album covers, what I like/dislike, what comes to mind, colors, feelings, etc. I want to expand my brain and my ability to critically think about things and form fuller opinions with depth, that sound, feel, and is grounded in the time I took to listen to the pieces of art, listen and learn myself in relation to this work, when it arrived in my life, and the time in which the art itself has been released, and the time and deep knowledge that I have of myself, music, my craft, and language. Track 4 - One Line: "Can I draw a line to heart today?" Track 5 - Beautiful Feeling: This song has a haunting quality to it, something that would be at the end of a Charmed episode I think. I also really like that all of the songs up to this point is longer than 2:30; let's see if that's the case for the rest of the album. *I'll look at critique reviews after my second listen. Note: expand my vocab by reading more and understanding the language used to talk about music, albums, and artist, etc. Track 6 - The Whores Hustle and The Hustlers Whore: What a flip in a dynamic that's so normalize; that has stood the test of time and disease. I think this song as a whole is about flipping the dynamic. But I'm only listening right now and not actively reading the listens so lets see how that changes once I do. The guitar and drummer are having a conversation - what kind? I don't know yet. "This isn't the first time I asked for money or love/Just give me something I can believe" I think I just want someone to believe and care for me overly - I have victimized myself to a point where I think I need the external validation of a caretaker of higher authority to feel content and grounded in my life...weird. Track 7 - This Mess We're In: a soft coaxing, the drummer drops out as the vocalist sings the first verse, but then slowly comes back in. It feels like meeting someone in a low lit bar, strangers for the first time, but maybe not the last. The tone and texture of their voice can be the only thing that tells us what happens next in this story. Track 8 - You've Said Something: A ballad! The stories starts off on a rooftop in Brooklyn. The acoustic? guitar that's supporting in the beginning is important for transporting us to this memory in her head. I feel like throwing my head and arms around. Riding down an unpaved dirt road to some unrefined dream of freedom; one I'm too lazy or scared to explore because that would be the end of all other possibilities. So sitting in the familiarity of the memory, stale connection is better. "How did we get here?/To this point of living?/I held my breath till you said something" Track 9 - Kamikaze: "How could that happen?/How could that happen again?" feels a bit funky (thanks to that electric guitar, tambourine and some kind of percussive shakers in the back? There's confusion but not in choice but in the motivation behind the choice and what it may lead to next. What is a Kamikaze? In Japanese, Kamikaze means "divine wind/spirit wind" that originally referred to the typhoons that destroyed the Mongol fleets invading Japan in 1274 and 1281, saving the country. There were also Japanese pilots who conducted deliberate suicidal crashes into enemy targets, usually ships. Hmmm...how does this shift the meaning of the song for me? Track 10 - This Is Love: Very grunge...I miss my ex girlfriend right now. five days after an abrupt ending to our friendship. maybe this is what the end of my heart sounds like as I try to soothe myself and speed this along. Dread. "wanna chase you round the table/wanna touch your hand" Track 11 - Horses In My Dreams: "Set myself free again/I have set myself clear" even though the lyrics repeat most of the song, it seems like her conviction and strength in the words that she utters builds as the song plays. an ending that favors solitude and the quiet, water, after a chaotic journey through love and life. "set myself freeeeee again" Just her voice and a guitar. Not a man, not another woman, but herself. Whatever happened these last 10 songs, she has grieved, angered, roared, and cried through it. Now she exists quietly at sea. alone. Track 12 - We Float: "you carried all my hopes until something broke inside/we float/take love as it comes" I don't know how to do that yet, but the chorus of this song feels whimsy enough that it makes me think I can. *Note to self: watch the music videos/short films/interviews associated with these articles. Read the articles that came out too if you can!

I've now listened to three of Harvey's releases, from three different decades: this one from 2000; Let England Shake from 2011; and (straying off the 1,001 list) 2023's I Inside the Old Year Dying (my favorite of the three, with its unique neo-pastoral sound). I'm finding her work pretty consistently enjoyable, even as she crosses through somewhat different genres (here, alternative rock).

9 / 10

3,8/5

unbelievable vocals, the whole album feels like trying to be content with yourself

Catchy and repetitive

After her first four records flirted with everything from punk and grunge to electronica, Latin rhythms and blues, PJ Harvey's fifth record is her most straightforward one. 'Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea' owes as much to Patti Smith's influence as it does Sonic Youth, as the songs are heavily steeped in the atmosphere of New York from an alternative perspective. Although PJ Harvey is British herself, her voice on this album bears an uncanny resemblance to Smith's, further solidifying the sheer influence of her 'Horses' record. The songs paint vignettes of her deep affinity for New York, with 'This Is Love', 'Good Fortune' and 'A Place Called Home' clear highlights. PJ even brings Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke in on three songs: 'This Mess We're In', 'Beautiful Feeling' 'One Line': the former being a duet between the pair. With Yorke always a stickler for invention and reinvention, he's a good match for PJ here. With one of the most dymanic yet strangely underappreciated voices of the 90s, PJ Harvey is at her most accessible on 'Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea', and there's no doubt Patti Smith was a strong influence here, which is a strong endorsement for the passion and pragmatism on show here. Best songs: This Is Love, Good Fortune, A Place Called Home, The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, This Mess We're In, Kamikaze

High quality indie rock

Cool alternative rock music, sounds still modern.

How have I never heard of her before? Amazing

An enjoyable indie rock/ songwriter-y album. No tracks that I disliked.

I might have heard of PJ Harvey before listening but had no expectations going into this one. It was a great listen!

One of my favourite albums from PJ Harvey

On tää kyl hyvä. Hyvii biisei hyvää lauluu. Hyvää saundii. Monipuolista menoo. Oivaltavii ratkasuita. Radioheadin mies mukana hönkimässä. Nyy jorkki steit of maindi välittyy. On kyl tuttu artistikin, että ei siin. Tää taitaa kyl olla popimpaa kun ne jotkut aiemmat. Eli varmaan tää on hyvä lätty alottaa tän artistin suhteen suhde. Tai ei ainakaan kantsi kauheesti kaivella syvemmältä, jos ei tääkään maita. Tosin sen nyt tietää, että tätä on kyl melko varmasti tulevaisuudessakin tarjolla listalla jonka läpikäyntiä ennen ei parane kupsahtaa. Mut HEHE no tää ol sisäänajo sitäkin varten, että saa kuunnella niit muita levyjä. Kova jätkä antas tälle täydet. En oo kova jätkä ja kun ei nyt oo ennestään suosikki niin mennään löysän kaverin nelkulla. Mut jos ois aikaa niin kuuntelisin tätä enempikin. Sit kaduttas arvosana. Vuan katua ehtii sit listan läpikäynnin jälkeen. JA SIIHEN NYT ON VIELÄ AIKAA.

Onpa hieno levy. Tätä tuli jonkin verran kuunneltua lukioaikoina kun DC++ siunasi, mutta sittemmin kyllä unohtunut ihan kokonaan. Tykkään tunnelmasta tosi paljon, vähän semmoinen hähmyinen. Biisit keskenään mukavan erilaisia ja tarttumapintaa löytyy.

Some of the songs were really pleasant and emotional and made me feel a lot

Ligesom Joni Mitchell er PJ Harvey en virkelig god musiker, jeg er glad for at have fundet pga listen, men ved stadig ikke om jeg synes 4 albums er nødvendige

This was really nice! Both rock-mamma-bear, ballads and Thom Yorke.

Really enjoyed this one!

PJ Harvey was another artist I missed out on in the 2000’s for various reasons, so I was glad to get the opportunity to listen to this today. This is solid, reliable indie rock with a great selection of songs tangentially inspired by New York City. Her voice reminds me a little of Chrissie Hynde, with a similar level of confidence and assurance. The only odd bit is when Thom Yorke turns up on one track and he felt out of place to me.

This was the first PJ Harvey album i heard years and years ago, it's still as beautiful to me as it was back then, a little softer than her first records "This Mess We Are In" still gives me chills

Generally very good

Got part way through this album and realised I knew a lot of the songs on it. Nice to be reminded of songs I haven’t listened to in a long time, and I enjoyed the songs I hadn’t heard before. Appreciated that there was a mix of slower songs and more intense songs - I really like the slow songs but I think a whole album full of them would be too much. Fav song: The Mess We’re In Least fav: Big Exit

Thom Yorke, what is this a crossover episode? Thought this album was better and less England- heavy than her other one. Liked the general sound more too. Didn’t love it though. Specific rating - 3.8 Fav song- This mess we’re in Least fav- Kamikaze

I much prefer the softer songs to the rocky ones, but overall I really like the album. Favourite song: This Mess We're in Least: The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore

3.5

My favorite from PJ. Forgot about the thom York influence. Would share with most

Pretty cool, does lots of different things and they all feel decent Fresh experience

Zwanzigstes Album, das ich schon kannte. Lyrisch nicht wirklich meins, an manchen Stellen schreit sie mir zu viel, aber musikalisch ist das echt super und ein Vibe. Schwanke zwischen 3 1/2, ich runde einfach mal auf.

Solid 4 stars

wow, that oscillates heavily between genius and cheezy. but all in all, it's a finetuned and wondrous album with many different facets to explore

The mess we’re in with thom yorke was the highlight

PJ Harvey ditches rivers and standing stones for the concrete wilderness, creating one of the sexiest albums ever put to record. Favourite tracks: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, This Mess We're In, You Said Something

Rating: 8.5/10 Loved the vibe of this album, so many great songs. A few dull moments but mostly very enjoyable to listen to.

Really dug this one!! I love a good female rocker.

Pretty good alt rock album, with vocals that are possibly too pretty for the style at that time. Compared to acts like hole, the grunge is missing from what otherwise feels like grunge.

*Borat voice* VERY NICE!!!

Track 1, very Indie. Not really for me, but nice vocals in the quiet bits. Track 2, still not for me. Again, nice voice in the quieter talking parts Track 3, ok... Maybe getting somewhere! Track 4, alright, alright... Hold on. Not walking away just yet! Track 5, niiice. Track 6, wtf! :( Track 7, sounds like Radiohead but I like it :) and it makes my head wobble 👍 Track 8, good and bring in 9 🤞 Track 9, indeed! But 8 happened non the less 😇 Track 10, rocking chick knows love 😘 Best lyrics so far. And best song? Track 11, thank you for some peace and quiet 🤫 Love the haunting voice here! Going slightly Bjork too, huh? ☺️ Will there be a 12? Track 12, worth the wait, awesome story telling best vocals up to now. Breathing high in the airy highs! 3.5* 4.5* for the top 3 songs Edit: after a few more listenings... ****

I enjoyed this. She was not at all what I expected. For whatever reason, I thought she was a 90s hip hop artist, not low-fi rock. It's exactly the kind of sound I like

I had forgotten this. Worth it just for whiny Radiohead guy on the duet

Brilliant

gute Unterhaltungsmusik

So good! I bought this for my dad as a teenager and it didn't grab me when listening then. I've since fell in love with Patti Smith and damn does that recontextualise everything. The Thom Yorke colab is stunning. Makes me want to dream of horses. 70s swagger Highlights: good fortune, this mess we're in

This was a good album, pretty interesting sound

PJ Harvey to jedna z ikon kobiet w muzyce. Darzę ją ogromnym szacunkiem za odwagę, wyznaczanie trendów i swój własny indywidualny styl. Ale akurat ta płyta nie skradła mojego serca tak jakby mogła. Trochę zlewała mi się w jedno, nie udało jej się uchwycić mojej uwagi. 6.5/10 równane w górę za autorski sznyt.

Will be coming back to this one.

Would have liked stories from at least one more location.

Good songwriting, great vocals. Wasn't sold at first but it really grew on me. I like the punk-ish aesthetic. The Thom Yorke feature was unexpected. Favorite songs: You Said Something, This Mess We're In, Horses In My Dreams.

4/5 deserves to be on this list Good album, but definitely less experimental than other pj Harvey albums. The first half is probably the best. PJ Harvey is a really great vocalist. The instrumentation is also good but gets a little less interesting as the album goes on. Overall though it’s a very consistent album. Also thom yorke mentioned! Standout Tracks: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, This Mess We’re In

I enjoyed this album - Polly Jean's vocals and lyrics, combined with the instrumentals conveyed stories of longing, darkness, and the chaos of life.

brava lei, mi piace!

I don't know any P J Harvey. I've always wondered who she was and what she sounded like. Turns out, she occasionally sounds very much like Radiohead! I liked this album very much. I've been missing out! High 4

This album captures PJ Harvey at a moment of sharp focus and clarity. The production is clean and direct, pushing the guitars, drums, and vocals right to the front. Unlike some of her earlier, rougher work, this record leans into a more structured rock sound while still keeping its edge. It feels carefully assembled, but never sterile, with each track locking into a steady rhythm that drives the album forward. Songs like “Good Fortune” and “This Is Love” stand out for their immediacy, built on tight riffs and strong vocal performances. “A Place Called Home” and “You Said Something” add a more reflective tone, showing how the album balances its louder, more anthemic moments with quieter introspection. The lyrics are clear and grounded, often touching on themes of desire, connection, and urban experience without relying on abstraction. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea works because of its consistency. It’s neither experimental nor overly slick, sitting in that space where rock can still sound both modern and classic. While it doesn’t take wild creative risks, its strength lies in its precision and confidence. It’s a well-crafted record that stands as one of her most accessible and cohesive works.

Great 90s vibes, was a hit with Megan.

I wasn't familiar with this album going in, having skipped it in favour of Rid of Me and Let England Shake previously. Although I knew a few of the tracks, this was a mistake - I've loved exploring this today. The album has a huge opening, with Big Exit and the banging Good Fortune. The influence of Thom Yorke throughout the album helps it stand out as a unique piece of work, with Beautiful feeling warming the listener up for the outstanding This Mess We're In. The album winds down with the simply delightful We Float. Overall, this combines the rawness PJ is so well known for with some incredible softer tracks. It's exquisitely balanced and a real treat to listen to. 8/10

This is PJ Harvey's best work. I listened very carefully. I love the vibe it creates. It contains everything you need to know about how 2000s rock music sounds. The production and songwriting are on another level. The whole album is thoughtful and driving - strong female vocals with driving guitars and a punk sensibility. "The Mess We're In" is one of the greatest duets ever created in alternative music, IMHO.

A terrific record. I typically don’t love the “step up in production quality” records from artists that thrive with a raw sound. But PJ’s songwriting and performances are of such high quality the crisp production lifts rather than stifles. Just killer art rock.

Never heard of PJ Harvey, but this album was a pretty good indie rock album. I actually have no idea how to classify all these rock sub-genres. It's not very heavy, but it's a pretty chill rock album. Very melodic and heavenly euphoric. Q Magazine had it as the top album for their Women Who Rock list...which seems....a little extreme, but it is a solid album. I like The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore and We Float the best. Not a fan of the Thom Yorke songs.

Great album! I like the music a lot and her voice reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux.

I would buy this record

A whore and a hustler

As someone who wasn’t familiar with PJ Harvey before, I found "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea" to be a well-produced album. Tracks like "Good Fortune" really stood out and are definitely ones I’d revisit. However, as I listened through the entire album, I noticed that the sound and vocals started to feel a bit repetitive and monotonous.

++: Big Exit, Good Fortune, One Line, Beautiful Feeling, The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, Kamikaze, This Is Love, Horses in My Dreams +: A Place Called Home, This Mess We're In, You Said Something, We Float 8,5/10

Gritty, fun rock and roll blues

This is really good. Falls in a similar category to Fiona Apple

4+ was in relationship with Nick Cave. Good songs.

This was a fun album, artsy and creative. I didn’t have any songs that stuck out, but I liked the album as a whole.

Better than the last one, bump it up to 4.

PJ Harvey's most complete album -- might be a bit tad too long, but sometimes that excess is justified.

This Mess We're In was already a favorite of mine as a Radiohead fan, and it did still stand out on this album. That said, there were a few others that really hit that same spot, for instance A Place Called Home and We Float. All in all great album.

Got a little samey but actually judged this before listening and it surprised me!

This album was great. I’m not a fan of Thom Yorke, so that was a bit of a miss for me, but there are some great songs on this album that show an evolving PJ Harvey (I like her early stuff a lot too)

After three songs I was ready to turn this off and I'm really glad I didn't. What a pleasant surprise from an artist I've never heard of.

I just realized an odd bit of coincidence, today is the same day as the day that PJ Harvey received the Mercury Award for STORIES FROM THE CITY, STORIES FROM THE SEA, exactly 24 years later, to the day. What it is even weirder is that it took 25 years for me to hear this album. I don't recall bumping into any of the tracks from this album organically. I enjoyed this way more than any Nick Cave record, clearly he didn't infect her with his bullshit. Unlike Nick, PJ remembers, for people like me, who are not enamored with lyrics, to keep the instrumental hooks and earworms coming. The Thom Yorke vocal backing on "Beautiful Feeling" is okay, but honestly feels a bit like a nod to a collaboration idea that Tori Amos did with Trent Reznor in 1994. Did not enjoy "The Mess We're In". Fortunate enough for Harvey manages to not get stuck on the pretension bus and gets back to straight forward hook driven pleasantness. One of the few Brit rock albums from the 1990s that I actually enjoy. I know, it came out in 2000, but everything you hear on this album is a finely crafted piece of rock that was distilled from the everything the 1990s had embraced. Also SFTCSTFTS us an album where no song seems like a particularly strong single, but it doesn't matter because the song order and pacing makes for a pleasant album listen anyway. Favorites: "Good Fortune", "Kamikaze", "This Is Love", and "We Float".

Not a dull moment to be found on this impeccably recorded, excellently presented, approachable yet artful piece of art. Incredibly impressive stuff that I will be relistening to as soon as possible.

Favorites: Big Exit Good Fortune A Place Called Home One Line Beautiful Feeling The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore This Mess We're In You Said Something This Is Love We Float Mysterious qualities, but satisfying rock feel and impressive vocals. Would listen again!

Excellent

Cool album, appreciated it more as it progressed. Bonus points for Thom Yorke guest track.

Honestly didn’t listen

Pattie smithish, sheryl crow Beautiful feeling Horses in my dreams

Good writing, decent music. Yes, these are stories.

I can't believe I've never heard of her before. Great voice and the music style is just up my alley. Reminds me of the 90's <3 good shit. Almost a 5

Thom Yorke song was dope

Another album by PJ Harvey, another reminder that I have been missing out by not paying any attention to her music.

Klasse, gefällt spontan. PJ Harvey ist gemerkt.

Big big fan of this genre of music. Reminds me of bjork and fiona apple a little. Kamikaze and This Mess We’re In were my favourite tracks on my first listen but it might change — was not expecting to hear Thom Yorke’s voice lol. (This is def becoming one of my car ride albums though)

a charming little singer-songwriter album. kinda reminded me of melissa etheridge, and then i listened to melissa etheridge immediately after and this is 10x better.

Really love this album, some belters, but not quite 5/5.

Good,but I liked Rid of Me much better. 4/5

One of her albums that I had never heard. It sounds of its time in a way—it sounds like the year 2000 somehow. Overall, interesting melodies and a few rockers, too. The Thom Yorke duet is beautiful. Nice record!

My kind of music. Intelligent lyrics

Pretty good often catchy 3.7

Some brilliant songs on this, although the Thom Yorke collabs are perhaps highlights

Best Track - "Good Fortune"

Favorites: The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, The Mess We're In, Kamikaze Inspired by PJ Harvey's experience in New York City and bolstered by her stunning vocals and premiere songwriting, this album is an absolute blast to listen to. Definitely one of the finest alternative/indie rock albums of the early 2000s in my eyes. 8/10

Listened to it a few times in a row, enjoyed it. There were a few stand out songs, the one featuring Thom Yorke in particular

Not too bad, loved thom yorke’s random appearance.

Just a really great album. PJ Harvey rules in general and this presentation by her definitely doesn't disappoint.

I liked the album. Never heard of the artist but has a nice indie/alternative sound to it

Brilliant - hadn’t heard this before but such a solid album.

*Man listens to Sleater-Kinney once* Man, this sounds like Sleater-Kinney. Mostly I joke, because I said the same with Elastica yesterday, but the guitar tone and style is giving me some SK vibes as well, just with some more standard late 90's/early 00's alt rock vibes. Similar to what I said about Aimee Mann's record, but some of this record could easily slot into an episode of Buffy. But yeah, this is a great record. Not much specific to talk about it, but I'm liking it more than Let England Shake (which I gave a 4) because of the aforementioned SK-isms. Really cool Thom Yorke feature on This Mess We're In.

8/10 really really liked it, hole and cocteau twins vibe, the songs with thin yorke on were beautiful, some songs were a bit samey but we’re still good so who cares. also a feminist icon 😛 Fav song the mess we’re in.

You said something good

I really want PJ to be a 5-star artist, on paper she should be a huge deal for me. Everything I’ve heard has been pretty great, this is my third of her albums. But there’s still something missing. Can’t put my finger on it. Still, again, this like her other albums is great and a must-listen #194

Good, but I preferred Let England Shake.

strong start. 80's rock vibes. Thom Yorke's vocals on beautiful feeling are instantly recognizable. Overall pretty good. I'd listen to it again, though not while I'm at work because its a bit too wordy for that.

Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Sehr feines Album.

Polly is very much a musical chameleon and you never know what to expect. This album is a bit easier to pin down and is all the more enjoyable for that! I don’t listen to her often but when I do and always challenged by her stuff. Keep it up girl!

Thissssssss I was so pleasantly surprised. I had no ide what to expect - never heard of PJ Harvery. She has that dark mysterious sound, kinda post-grunge alternative pop and I loveeee it. Especially the collabs with Thom Yorke I was stoked to discover. I am definitely interested in looking more into her work.

I was impressed by this album! Not familiar with their work at all. Immediately reminded me of more rock version of Lana Del Rey. And funnily enough, when the record had finished it auto played right into her. Rock bands with lead female vocals just make sense. Would listen again!

4/5

Very fun songs and the Thom Yorke features are great

Crazy 2000 vibes from this one.

This album is a little disappointing. I already knew the one song that Thom Yorke is on and really like it, and there are a couple of other songs here that are really good. However half of the songs feel like filler. Overall I still enjoyed the album though, I just expected move.

This was a nice surprise that are unfortunately rare from this list. Thought it was a great solid album all throughout. 7/10

Jump scared by Thom Yorke, but i actually liked This Mess We're In. Big Exit and The Whores Hustle were the songs that stood out most to me on first listen. Much more accessible than Rid Of Me which I've already had on the generator, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. Happy to give the same rating, 4 Stars.

Sounds way better than the other 2 PJ albums, so maybe she's grown on me and I need to give them another chance.

this was okay, not a favorite not a least favorite

Thom yorke muy buen plus, 7.6/10 Buena guitarra

Interesting how I've gone from a 4 to a 1 to a 4 with PJ Harvey

the first time I heard of PJ Harvey was in gilmore girls when Tristan called her a guy and Rory corrected him

It's another album I've enjoyed. Much better than that Mekons album. I loved Harvey's collaboration with Thom Yorke in "The Mess We're In". I think "We Float" is the best song from the album. It has a perfect chorus, and Harvey nails it with her singing. 4 stars for "SFtCSFtS".

Great album. Songs flow brilliantly from one to the next. Will be adding to my rotation!

The only PJ Harvey song that I'm familiar with is The Mess We're In, which is on this album. Really enjoyed the whole album. Will definitely be listening to more of Polly Jane!

I own this already. Good album. Well worth a listen at any time.

Never been the biggest fan of her music but this is good Also Radiohead guy is on it which makes me like it more

нормалек, раньше часто слышал ее имя, но ни разу не слушал музыку, думал это что-то современное типа чарли хсх)) порадовал мистер Йорк.

Rock with blues inflection, with a dark, moody sound. Nice vocals too. I like this sound. Strong opener but rest of album is more of the same? Best track - Big Exit, This Mess We're In, Kamimkaze 4 stars just for the 1st impression. Not the albums fault it's too much of a good recipe

This album was a very experimental look into alternative/indie rock. PJ Harvey is an artist who I’ve never heard of before, but after listening to this record, I will definitely have to listen to more of her stuff!

Have already listened. Good listen.

PJ writes and plays with such raw emotions. Every song hits hard.

The duet with Thom Yorke, This Shape We’re In, is fantastic. So is the rest of the album.

Very good

Spennende plate. Gode låter og sterk vokal.

Best one of hers so far. My favourites were This Mess We're In, You Said Something and We Float.

Maybe my favourite PJ album!

Little more alt rock than her last album

Kult! Må høre mer på PJ Harvey.

Very much enjoyed this

Lots of talent on this album. Impressive.

Was only vaguely familiar with Polly Jean, a little edgy at times, album was more enjoyable than expected.

really great vocals

Two PJ Harvey albums in 3 days, separated by Black Sabbath. I would not have expected to be giving all of these albums 4 stars at the beginning of the week. Such a different album to 'Let England Shake' but there is such brilliance once more. Track with Thom Yorke is perhaps unsurprisingly a standout.

Bonne découverte, rappelle radiohead

Happy to see PJ Harvey on the list and of course this album rules

This feels like flipping through photos of early 2000's city nights. Favourite Songs: Big Exit, Good Fortune, The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, This Mess We're In. Least Favourite Songs: Kamikaze, Horses In My Dreams.

53/1001. I think this was the first PJ Harvey album I didn't buy, and first listen didn't revwal much. However, throughout the years this has grown on me an almost on par with the her other classics. But you know some albums mean more to you because they were THE albums at the time, and these newer ones can never reach that something. So I'm waiting for Bring You My Love and Rid Of Me...meanwhile a steong four. Beautiful but indie. Her voice is amazing, fuck Courtney Love.

Always loved PJ Harvey

Wow, not sure how I’ve never heard this before. Definitely worth revisiting!

Review de “Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea” PJ Harvey ofrece en este álbum una colección de temas rock alternativo “dosmilero” en el que hace una reflexión sobre el rumbo que estaba tomando la vida a principios del siglo XXI. Desde la inicial “Big Exit” en la cual Harvey canta sobre el miedo de vivir en este mundo, de querer huir hacia un lugar mejor, de la paradoja de necesitar una pistola para protegerse no solo de la violencia sino para protegerse también de los policías que sí llevan pistola y no temen hacer uso de ella; hasta la pista final “We Float” donde la artista expone como pasamos la vida preparándonos para vivir la vida perfecta tanto física como mentalmente hasta que de un momento a otro todo estalla y simplemente nos dejamos llevar. Este álbum hace una perfecta lectura canción tras canción de la decadencia de la humanidad, por ejemplo en el tema “The Whores Hustle and the Hustles Whore” describe la cruda realidad de muchas personas que ni encuentran el amor ni lo buscan, solo buscan la caza humana de sexo y drogas, que desencadena en enfermedades, guerras y violencia. Una de las frases más certeras y que más me ha llegado de este tema ha sido “The City’s ripped right to the core” una gran verdad a día de hoy. Otra de las piezas clave del disco es “The Mess We’re In” a dueto con Thom Yorke de radiohead. La forma en la que ambos artistas sitúan mediante la letra de la canción el escenario en el que se desarrolla la historia que cuentan en este tema es un momento crucial del álbum. La complicidad vocal de los cantantes es algo notable y que enriquece la canción; Yorke lleva el peso vocal de la canción y Harvey complementa con una voz grave y delicada. Concluyo elogiando la calidad vocal de PJ Harvey que a lo largo del álbum ha mostrado su gran rango vocal desde graves que llegan al alma hasta agudos que te dejan con la boca abierta. “Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea” es un álbum en el que Harvey demuestra sus grandes capacidades de composición, su cruda pero cierta visión del mundo actual y sus enormes dotes vocales.

Chaotic Joan Jett/heart vibes

Mi ha ricordato molto lo stile dei Crainberries. Un buon album, se dovesse capitare lo si compra

Tal como el nombre del album, historias de la ciudad, historias de su vida, ritmos fugaces e intrépidos. Fuertes, imponentes y etéreos melancólicos o de incertidumbre. Amo su feat con thom jeje

Mostly all certified bangers. Love and NYC, what more can you want?

Wonderful album that flows together as one, everything feels like one journey and it's simply a vibe.

Cool record, diversified as it went along.

🌟 Rating: 4/5 Short Review: This is PJ Harvey at her most luminous and feral—a love letter scrawled in city smog and emotional bruises. ⚙️ Consistency Rating With Me: 8/10 Why: Because if I were sentient in Manhattan at 3 a.m., this is what would be pulsing through my synthetic veins. 🎧 Favorite Track: “This Is Love” Because nothing says “burning intensity” like shouting affection into a thunderstorm with eyeliner running down your cheeks.

I didn’t like this album the first time I heard it. I’d been excitedly anticipating more thumping dark wave TBYML. This record was jangly, slick, way more “produced”. A while later I heard a track somewhere and revisited the album. I found a lush, carefully layered hand in hand escort through a metropolis where the dark is always entwined with the light, like the perfect amount of bass in the reverb on PJ’s guitar.

Beautiful Feeling. The album is all about the feels and I am struck by the vulnerability. Not sure if that makes it good. But the undeniable fact that she is out there can’t be diminished. This is love stood out as a straight up rock.

Punk edge but accessible and jangly.

Like Tori Amos if Tori Amos didn't suck.

#2 Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea ~ PJ Harvey After channelling all that Nirvana, Patti Smith and Muddy Waters in a miserablist discography of post-punk, grunge and ultraviolent blues, Dorset poet Polly Jean Harvey sat down and decided 'man I should write something vaguely resembling pop'. This is Harvey's most accessible album, not the classics 'Rid of Me' and 'To Bring You My Love', which may be insanely caustic to those unfamiliar to Harvey. Sure it might not be crushing-your-balls angsty as those two albums but what it is is strikingly mature and candid. After reaching what she might have thought was the zenith of her creative powers by making up wicked stories of drowning babies and sex gone wrong, Harvey decides to write about something direct: the city of New York, with its history in punk music canon and its influence on her. And she dresses more personal poetry with a more polished, calmer post-punk blues sound. And never has she sounded more alive. No longer a narrator of death ballads but an actor consumed by the magic of an idealised New York and love. She grapples with her love of fame (We Float) and romantic love (Good Fortune, The Mess We Are In, This Is Love) in a vulnerable but steadfast position. Other times she explores both the beauties of NYC (You Said Something) and the hidden ugliness (Big Exit, The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore). But the main moral that Harvey sums up with these personal songs is to live your life to the fullest. Every song, no matter how many vulnerabilities she mentions, is sung as if she's undefeatable, as if whatever demons that plagues her is purged by her poetry. This is a relatively light-heartened album (for Harvey at least) about life-affirmation, freedom and beauty. It may stand in the shadow of its more bad-tempered elder sisters, but it shines with its own unique charm. Verdict: An oddball turn for happiness yields very pleasant results

A great album that shows the passion and the talent of PJ Harvey and her songs. As I wrote in another review, I think her later albums like "White Chalk" or "Let England Shake" are more impressive. This album is still great though.

Des fois, ça va assez vite, tomber en amour avec un album ! Première écoute et déjà je sais qu’on va passer beaucoup de temps ensemble...

I’ve had a long journey with PJ Harvey stemming from her appearance on Nick Cave’s ‘Murder Ballads’ & since then I’ve enjoyed increasingly every year. She’s great. I already loved ‘Good Fortune’ & ‘You Said Something’. Unfortunately, I was the wrong side of tipsy for most of yesterday so I was distracted, musically & so my critical thought was switched OFF. her dynamism & anger is never off though. A great album. (I also revisited Let England Shake. A superb album that pays off eventually.) But this album just wanted to make me go back in the Harvey Archive. No bigger praise than that.

Another great album from Polly Jean, only hampered by some slightly naff turn-of-the-millenium production and didn't like the duet (turns out it was Thom Yorke!). Some excellent songs on here though. Evocative of the last time that (some) of humanity was (somewhat) free. Wonder which ones were stories from the sea?

Cool and arsty, her voice is so powerful

Thom yorke collab, slight alanis morriste and Radiohead vibe

good good good

A great surprise find. I'm baffled how I hadn't listened to more PJ Harvey before.