Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

pretty good

solid album, after a while the album restarted and i didn’t even realize because most of the songs sound the same favorite song: the whores hustle and the hustlers whore least favorite: beautiful feeling

Intriguing one here. Somewhere in the middle it turns from an abrasive girl-punk album to a very good "girl doom metal" album with less distortion. Then shifts again to "adult contemporary". I wish for more cohesiveness, but it's clear that she's talented and in control of the production process.

2.5

I prefer living in the city, but hearing stories from the sea.

There is something about the songs on this album that makes me listen only till the half of the song. Then i get bored and forward to the next

A well-crafted and balanced record that ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression. While the technical details are evident, the "indie" mixing choice to bury the vocals within the production creates a frustrating distance for the listener. Despite a solid collaboration with Thom Yorke, the repetitive structures and the natural reverb of the recording make the overall experience feel professionally executed but emotionally hollow.

2000’s Girl Punk pop loathing bed rot

Décidément je ne vois pas ce qu'on trouve à cet album qui est pour moi un des moins intéressant de PJ Harvey.

Good I wish it was grungier tho

Instrumental:4 crisp, clean, pleasant Vocals: 2.5 good voice but not my speed I really liked every song until they started singing.

Some good songs. But her voice can’t carry the slow songs.

I wish I had stronger feelings about this

I don't feel very strongly about this one one way or another. High 3

Okay

I remember when this came out. I was a big fan of Dry and (especially) Rid of Me, and I thought this was a bit commercial, bland and 'tasteful' by comparison. I think I appreciate it a bit more now, but I'm not sure if it's just because we've had a crappy run of albums on this project recently. 6.9 Fav track: This Mess We're In Least fav: This is Love (sounds like a toothless version of her earlier stuff)

I listened to this one as background music and I liked it, but didn't love it. Thom Yorke on two tracks is always nice. 7 / 10

Meh. I really like some of PJ Harvey's other stuff, but this is very forgettable.

The album is growing on me as I listen through. I liked You Said Something and Kamikaze. Her voice is cool! The collab with Thom Yorke is cool too.

I dig PJ Harvey but... 4 albums on this list? Why?

re new york

Some great songs

I didn’t like this one as much as Let England Shake, which I got less than a week ago, but it was still a very respectable album. Thom Yorke’s haunting vocals work well on their duets. Fine listen.

Nice. Listenable. Good writing. Good melodies - a little haunting. Could use more drive. Beat. To add heft. 3.

it's fine, don't get the hype tho

Patti Smith vibes at times. Some nice moments and melodies, but none of the songs were really sticking in my mind. Pretty meh overall

Better than her other records I've heard, maybe it's just that I'm getting used to her style. Still just a perfectly okay indie album

Am I a bad feminist if my favourite song was the one with thom Yorke? Appreciate it for what it is but I think it’s not majorly a relisten for me, maybe my issue is I don’t like New York so an album written as an ode to the city potentially never going to appeal to me? There are moments of real enjoyment and brilliance, but I think there are albums of this genre/period that scratch this particular itch more for me.

Really good all the way through, give windows down in the car on a nice day vibe.

Another pretty decent album, with some good songs but it didn’t feel super special. So unfortunately, not loads to say on it, there wasn’t a bad song on the album though to be fair. There were still some highlights with cool instrumentals and depth to the songs, a standout to me was ‘The whores hustle and the Hustlers whore’. Overall, a pretty cool album but not quite enough for me to go into 4-stars.

some good songs

I read in a review that this album would have been perfect if it weren't for Thom Yorke's involvement. The track with Thom Yorke turned out to be the best one on the album. Overall, it's mediocre.

There’s so much great material in the back half of this, but I think the first few songs are really just kinda uninspired and sort of generic. Also I think she sounds a lot like Fiona Apple on a couple of these songs, but that’s not a bad thing it’s just interesting. Favorites: Beautiful Feeling, Kamikaze, This is Love

Absolutely fine. Middle of the road.

Glad to finally know what's up with PJ Harvey. But def not for me.

I'm new to PJ Harvey and just a couple weeks ago, this site fed me her 2011 album, "Let England Shake", which I really liked. So it was hard not to compare this one to that, and I really preferred the later album. This one just didn't stand out. Perfectly listenable, but not striking like the other.

It was ok, nothing to write home about but also didn’t feel the need to skip a bunch of songs

Girl rock

Grungeigt Bra röst Favoritlåt: a place called home

There were some high points. The vocals are reminiscent of Christie Hynde, which I like. But then there is the song featuring the singer from Radiohead. Low point.

I like it. If there was a 3.5 i would rate it 3.5, but, i cant give it a 4. Not that good. Going 3

Didn't really stand out much to me.

Great voice. Like a cross between Lucinda Williams and Pat Benatar.

solid. that song with Thom is incredible

I liked the more uptempo songs in the beginning quite a bit, but when the pace slowed down it kind of lost me. The slow songs at the end are too long and Thom Yorke really didn't need to be featured on here. Still, the regular alt rock is nice enough to warrant it from being bad.

Okay album. Nothing flashy though

I liked it wasn’t wowed but some good singles

Didn’t know what to expect, was pleasantly surprised. Found it to be a decent album

This didn't stand out to me. Nice enough and competent. Nothing very musically different;competent writing performance and singing

pretty good stuff with some poignant lyrics and beautiful vocals, but i can understand why i haven't heard of it.

I’ve always thought about diving into PJ Harvey but never did much, so I was excited to have this assigned. But I’m not sure I see what all the fuss is about here. There’s a few solid songs here, but nothing I found stunning. Just a mix of 90s-ish alt rock that ranges from guitar-driven to singer-singer writers to more atmospheric - and while I enjoyed some, nothing was quite groundbreaking or spectacular.

I didn't love it. There were three songs that I enjoyed. But I have to say that if I had heard this album in 2000 when it was released, I would've been all over it. It's interesting, it's the type of music I was listening to then, but I had never heard of her. Songs: This is love We float A place called home

Very raw, just didn’t connect with it too much

It was ok

I dig PJ Harvey

I thought I wasn’t going to like this. The first half of the album was a little bland and didn’t capture my attention. But the second half of the album was much better than the first, and I loved "You Said Something.”

Fav: A place called home 2.5/5

I had only ever heard the name PJ Harvey, and had no sense going in on what to expect except the cover. I expected femail vocalist over soft rock, but the music was harder and more uptempo than I expected. The rock was energetic and satisfying, and the vocals felt like a wall a sound that mostly worked for me. Curious to know what the rest of PJ Harvey sounds like,

Interesting, still after all those years.

7/10

It was okay.

Struggled with this one - just not in to her? Have a feeling she’s not an instant artist so will keep trying

This was weird. I didn't like the first few tracks. I was coming around and then boom Thom Yorke, pretty cool. I am sure I would have loved this if I was slightly older and heard it in its heyday

It didn't grab me as I'd hoped. Lyrically beautiful though. The collaborations with Thom Yorke worked really well and The Hustlers Whore was a standout track.

Definitely a step down from Dry or To Bring You My Love. Polly's voice remains compelling, and there are a bunch of great songs, but it veers a bit too close to stadium rock at times and the Thom Yorke song is a bit yuck.

Was not familiar with PJ Harvey. She might be an artist who grows on you. On first listening this seems to be a good album. Several times of listening might produce a better review but it's not currently feeling very memorable.

I thought this album was good, but I didn’t really connect with the material in any meaningful way. I’ll definitely revisit it in the future and maybe come to appreciate it more then, but for now, I think this sits closer to the mediocre end of good than the great end.

This is a really good album. One thing i noticed is the very long song and album titles. You said something is clear about New York. We float is a great song.

New york based (I assume) indi adult alternative rock lady. Nothing exciting was hoping this would be interesting as I have heard of her. It’s fine not breaking any boundaries here. It’s fine.

ehh, not my kind of music. i can appreciate what it's trying to do, however, it's certainly not for me

I have already listened to two albums from PJ Harvey and I have always felt it was a 3, not too bad and not that good.

Don't love this one as much as her earlier works but its fine.

I would definitely give this a 3.5 but unfortunately that's not available on this site so 3 stars it is. But really nice tempo on this one! Favourites would be "We Float" and "This Mess We’re In". It took me a little while to get used to the vibe so right now least favourite would probably be "Big Exit".

PJ Harvey has been one of the more pleasant surprises of my 1001 Albums journey so far – I wasn't previously familiar with her work, but she was one of the best things about Nick Cave's Murder Ballads album and I ended up really enjoying Let England Shake as well. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is a weird one for me because my opinions of Side A and Side B are essentially opposite each other. Side A is just solid early-2000s alternative rock and I found every track to be at least decent (if not great). It was really cool to hear Harvey doing her thing in that era and blending in perfectly! Side B gets a little weird. I'm perfectly okay with weird if said weirdness feels exciting and innovative, but the second half of the album just came across as "boring weird" – I'm sure other people in this community have a few albums they can think of like that. The only track I really enjoyed from Side B was "We Float" and the rest was kind of a slog to get through. Side A would probably be a strong three to a light four for me, whereas Side B would be a decent to strong two. I'll average the two and call the full album a light three. Just two more PJ Harvey albums to go! Highlights: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, One Line, The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, We Float

An artist who has somehow passed me by over the years, even though I like her style of music, this album reminded me of a slightly mellowed out less punky Sleatter Kinney. And what about 'The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore' as a song title, fantastic. I also enjoyed the good combos with Thom Yorke on backing vocals. Enjoyed this 3 out of 5

A little too hard for me.

Enjoyed this, but still not the biggest PJ Harvey guy

3/5

It was good, I think though PJ has been on here a lot and I need a little break or just expecting something more because she is on here so much.

It’s been a long while since i’ve listened to this album. It feels like her BIG commercial Rock ‘N’ Roll moment…available for purchase at your nearest Borders, whereas everything before and after this feels like a little underground secret iykyk. Overall it’s a good record with songs that stand up, like A Place Called Home, One Line, and We Float, but it doesn’t even come close to being my personal fave, which is actually Is This Desire? That’s a stone cold classic.

As a Mercury Prize Winner, this album didn't wow me as much as I was hoping for. It feels too restrained for her, and it just wasn't that engaging. The songs were pretty though, and it's interesting to see her veer into this softer, gentler direction.

Solid 3 - enjoyable

Actually a 3.5

Well made alt rock/jangle pop but nothing really substantial. The collab with Thom Yorke was the best part.

Same as below. 3/5

I didn’t know if I would like this since I didn’t care for the last album but it this was alright.

she's really good, I absolutely loved the way that she kinda of remind me of multiple other female artists that I love, like the singer of the cranberries.

Just not my style

Cool vibe. Cool voice.

Liked. Reminded me of Patti Smith

really liked the songs, nothing stood out a lot tho. chill background music

not the biggest fan of 2000s music but some of the songs were pretty good

mulher linda, maravilhosa.

No comments. Cool,

Was okay

Good songwriter. But, a little too dark even for me. A couple of tunes I really enjoyed earning it a 3.

Enjoyed this album

This is actually very much my kind of music

Not sure why there are so many PJ Harvey albums on here, but this is better than the others i've heard.

Heel tof, moet eens gaan discodiven bij haar

Decent alt rock.

Pleasant enough? I was starting to get bored of it being too samey, and then we randomly get a couple of Radiohead songs

Could have done without Thom Yorke telling me how much he wanted to make love to me tbh. Favourite tracks: A Place Called Home, Horses In My Dreams, We Float

3 out of 5 Chill, mellow 90s coffee house vibes. Some were a wee bit too slow but overall good album.

75

Music was fine. Vocals were irritating. I'm feeling generous.

I just listened to Let England Shake and I really liked it. I was interested in listening to this one, but it wasn't as good in my opinion. Got more loud and annoying. The addition of Thom Yorke was fun, but didn't really add anything for me. Not my style of album, but fine overall

Cigarette mom rock album that is so 2000s it hurts. Think about the interior of a Gloria Jean's Coffee shop in 2003 and you'd get how this album sounds.

M'n tweede PJ Harvey en dat betekent dat ik er komend jaar nog minimaal twee meer ga krijgen. Ik vind het een wat lastig album. Het lijkt alsof de meeste nummers niet echt coupletten en een refrein hebben, maar dat elk nummer meer gewoon een lange weg van begin naar einde is. Het is in het begin allemaal wat zweverig en zeurderig, ook zonder de zang. Rond het midden zitten wel een paar gave nummers. Die met Thom Yorke en dat nummer daarvoor en daarna bijvoorbeeld. Van mij mag ze best wat vaker die lompere kant op gaan, dat vind ik veel leuker om te luisteren. Stiekem wil ik eigenlijk gewoon Hole of Alanis te horen krijgen als ik dit aanzet en dat is dit niet. Ik ga haar matsen met 3 sterren vandaag. Ik kan best genieten van de grofweg tweede helft van het album en de eerste helft was zo bijzonder saai dat ik die alweer ben vergeten.

British rock 🤨

Couldn’t say much, but it was nice

Something different but seemed similar to something I’ve heard before

I know this is not *the* PJ Harvey album, but for my first time listening to her I thought it was fine. Nothing blew me away and nothing made me want to stop listening.

Maybe it’s the mix? Cool music and cool voice but she grates my nerves.

While I wasn't entertained the entire album, I did find some songs I enjoyed. It's definitely a genre I'm not familiar with, but I actually enjoyed it a little bit.

Prefer Let England Shake

Interestingly better from PJ Harvey. More relaxed vocals without the grating edge of earlier work.

Very solid album

PJ Harvey definitely has something about her but also feel something is missing too that would make me a proper fan. It's not the garagey straightforward approach I have an issue with, loads of my favourite bands are like that. Think the vocals are really good too. Could do with being a bit more dynamic maybe? It's never very loud or very quiet, kinda chugs along. Definitely a 3, wouldn't mind listening to more but not sure at this point if my interest would grow.

Much preferred the sound on "dry" as opposed to this, although this was still decent. I'm not sure if it's just because I know they are connected, but she reminds me of Nick Cave. I recognised "this is love". 3.5 but 3, as I have dry 3.5 too and preferred that

Definite Patti Smith influences. A lot of songs in 6/4. Trip hop influences we're minimal. The duet with Thom York didn't really work. You said something, whores hustle and kamikaze were highlights.

The album sounds surprisingly little like Radiohead, even though Thom Yorke is on it. I think that is a good thing, because any direct comparison would not do this album any favors. Instead, at some highlight moments it reminds me of Tool a little bit. The rest is grungy sounding Indie Rock from the late 90s.

Pretty good but the name made me hope half the album would be sea shanties. Also the last song made me think I went deaf.

Alright, could see myself having it as background music

didn’t love

Was alright, she sounds like Fiona Apple. Not the biggest fan of this style of music but def better in comparison to other albums I’ve listen to so far.

6 Feel so-so about pj Harvey. Feel like there are other similar sounding people who I enjoy much more but her songwriting just feels less compelling

This is an album I admire more than I enjoy. The songwriting is thoughtful, the performances are strong, and there’s a clear sense of place and intention running through the record. I understand why this is often cited as PJ Harvey’s most approachable work. It’s cleaner, more melodic, and more open than much of what came before it. That said, it never quite pulls me in. There are individual moments that stand out, but as a whole the album keeps me at arm’s length. I find myself appreciating the craft and the atmosphere without ever fully connecting to it on an emotional level. I wanted it to resonate more than it did. It’s a solid, well-made record, and I’m glad I spent time with it. But it lands as a respectful listen rather than something I feel compelled to return to. A clear three stars.

I liked this album, but I do not think that it is something that I would enjoy listening to casually, she is a little bit to slow and even for my taste

I enjoyed listening to this album

Alright

Really not a PJ Harvey fan, but this is probably my favourite record of hers if I had to pick one. She has an air of sincerity on this album that makes it more bearable compared to her earlier work.

I mean there were some decent tracks on here, but nothing really to ride home about. None of them meshed super well together so it felt a little disjointed.

Good turn-of-the-century female-led singer-songwriting here. Enjoyable!

Another Wasn’t expecting much. Not bad

Almost hated this for sounding like Nico Vega but the last few songs truly saved it. Beast of a hail mary.

I might need to give this a deeper listen but it sounded kinda good. 3

Rolls along nicely.

Stories from somewhere in between.

not always a fan but this is a good one

It’s aight, good beats for 2000s but nothing particular special

meh. Nothing really stands out on this one, aside from some screeches that I could do without. It isn't bad, and the tone does kind of grab you after you settle in, but not really compelling to me.

A good album, I liked A Place Called Home and This Mess We're In the most.

alright ig?

Not a stand out

Big fan of her first two records and their raw sound (Steve Albini did one). I think her voice and songwriting translates well with this slicker production, but I prefer the older stuff. An artist I could see doing a deep dive on at some point.

I like PJ.

Not dynamic, kinda boring

Not my jam but it was a nice sounding sound regardless

Au début j’ai bien accroché à la vibe alternative qui me faisait parfois penser à Radiohead (délire introspectif avec un joli travail sur les voies chantées), et parfois aux Cranberries, pour l'énergie un peu tranchante et entraînante, + le timbre de la chanteuse Plusieurs titres qui m’ont bien parlé, au début et puis ensuite The mess we’re in, qui a vraiment un truc de Radiohead je trouve, et est intéressant de ouf dans la construction et les mélodies, avec de très belles parties chantées à deux voix avec les douces envolées dans les aigus Au milieu et ensuite j’ai trouvé à ça plus boring dans l'ensemble ; il me manquait quelque chose. Parfois un peu trop British pop faussement rebelle, parfois un peu trop monotone à mon goût

Runs subtils dans la voix, je crois que j’ai un peu du mal avec le format lyrics courts. Dans premier son par ex, voix monte puis descend etc difficile de faire en sorte que ça sonne pas répétitif (prévisible). 3e couplet change un peu, casse rythme. Bizarrement je suis quand même convaincue par la proposition artistique (ce va-et-vient dans les sonorités évoque un peu les vagues d’une marée qui a du mal à se jeter à l’océan, prisonnière de la baie dans laquelle elle s’échoue). Intéressant quand elle utilise sa head voice. Une façon de poser la voix très caractéristique de fin 90’ début 2000 j’ai l’impression, un peu camp rock. Bien aimé la cohérence de l’album, avec thèmes de l’évasion, trouver sa place dans le monde, rapprochement/éloignement, qui se déclinent sous plusieurs sujets spécifiques (danger de sortir de sa bulle, l’envie de se propulser dans le vaste monde, la marche brinquebalante une fois la bulle éclose…), belle progression logique dans les thèmes, que j’avais moins ressentie dans la plupart des albums écoutés avant. Ici, impressionnante capacité à produire mouvement avec des patterns en apparence très répétitifs). Petit coup de coeur pour A Place Called Home, This Is Love, et la fin de The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore (expérience d’écoute: 2 sons en 1). Par contre assez indifférente à Beautiful Feeling, par ex, qui est à la fois très personnel et en même temps donne l’impression d’être le son dans lequel elle met le moins d’effort. Pour moi, un solide 3.75 arrondi en-dessous.

Enjoyed it.

Great album. Great genre. Not for everyone so not sure how it made this list.

This is like arthouse Alanis Morrisette, but these are Alanis's rejected songs that were released years later on a deluxe edition or something. First half of the album was more enjoyable than the second. I did not enjoy the Radiohead guy popping up on multiple songs. Overall, it was OK, but I didn't love anything. Low-end 3/5.

Solid late 90s rock. Listenable, forgettable.

Täähän oli jopa ihan hyvä! Lähin tätäkin ihan neitsyenä kuuntelemaan valmiina heittää 1-2 arviota, mut kyl tää kolmoseen nousee. Tosi kivoja juttuja soitannassa ja laulussa. Voi olla että menee vielä uusiks kuunteluun ja jopa omille listoille muutamat biisit. Ei kuitenkaan nostella neloseen

Aivan nevahööd akka. Aluksi mietin että kuka tällästä shittiä 2000-luvulla tekee, kun kuulosti modernilta ollakseen 70-luvulta, mutta oli seassa pari ihan ok kipalettakin. Sen suuremmin pohtimatta laitetaan kädenlämpöinen kolkki

Fine? Feels like it's only on here because it's british

For whatever reason I can never seem to muster enough energy to properly engage with her music. All of my prior reviews for her albums have just been straight down the middle, "It's alright". Aaaand... It's kind of the same here. Yeah, it's alright. At least she's consistent. Some tracks are nicely done, but there's also a lot of dirgy stuff in there which I'm not into.

Light 3,5

I liked this. PJ Harvey has got a great voice. But the music is a bit uninspiring - just find guitar a bit boring these days, especially guitars that are bereft of melody. At least throw some trumpets in there, PJ. The 2nd half was much stronger than the first. "We Float" offering something different and is I swear the only major key on the album?? "Kamikaze" also turning up the heat to spice things up. 6.5 / 10 Best track/s: The Mess We're In, Kamikaze

Lilith Fair Radiohead. Some great moments, some irritating.

I never knew she was British. Ya learn something new everyday.

Good album. Really like her guitar tone and her duet with Thom Yorke. Highlights: "The Mess We're In" and "We Float"

Gode sange, men min mindst yndlings af de PJ Harvey plader vi har haft -- synes ikke den er helt lige så spændende som de andre. Stadig stor 3'er.

quite liked this

Interesting album from someone I have never really given much attention to. It’s not an immediate album but it does draw you in. I think I’ll give it another couple of listens to see what it truly offers

Never could get into PJ Harvey, but this was alright. She must have been boning Thom Yorke.

I did not realy enjoi it not my music style sadly

Listenable.

Just didnt have it in me for another PJ Harvey album

feels like the cover looks, and that's not a bad thing. Just wish I had a 2000s movie over it 3/5 7.46/10

Sounds kind of Radiohead adjacent. Darker sounding. Late 90’s alt/indie vibes. I’m not sold on most of the lyrics - a little too basic on some level. Notable tracks include Good Fortune, A Place Called Home, Beautiful Feeling, This Mess We’re In, This Is Love, We Float.

This.album started off really strong and i was thinking it was going to be an easy 5 for me, but then it got to the more profound, stuff towards the end and I'm not giving it a 5. I totally appreciate PJH, it's just not my cup of tea and that has always been my relationship with her music.

Good songs

I enjoyed this more than the previous PJ Harvey. Well written, sounds good, but a bit to indie-y for me.

Thom Yorke jumpscare. Decent album, good voice.

Can't seem to get on with pj harvey

Although, a fantastic album with a few songs I added to my “liked” playlist, many sound the same and the album blends together a bit too much.

My hunch about PJ Harvey is that she’s pretty much the female version of Nick Cave. listening to this one, I can’t say my assessment is entirely incorrect. I liked it more than I thought I would, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan. I respect and was unfamiliar with PJs game.

- Alternative rock album - Good, solid album, but nothing particularly stuck out to me? - Favourites: Good Fortune, Horses In My Dreams

not the best for me, but i understand why this is a highly valued album

I enjoyed this album and on another day might have ranked it a 4. 3.5/5

Another artist I had some awareness of, but no real familiarity with. I don't know exactly where they fit into the chronology of other women who create similar music (Fiona Apple comes to mind). I enjoyed this.

Couldn't get into this, but maybe I could on a different day.

I like PJ Harvey, and have seen her live atleast a couple of times. This album, whilst still a good album, is not my favourite of hers. Despite including “This Is Love” which is on my favourites list, “Stories From The City…” ranks behind her “To Being You My Love” (1995) and “Let England Shake” (2011) as an overall album. That’s not in the least to say it’s bad, it certainly isn’t, just that I don’t think it’s my favourite of hers. Regardless, it was still really nice to play this through a couple of times today :)

It sounds like the inspiration for a lot of other music I like, but almost a too pure version of it.

I like the ambiance they're able to create, but the entirety of the album felt quite monotonous. Also, no standout songs in my opinion. 3.2

Solid

Muito bom! Ouvir mais...

This is solid stuff. I remember This Is Love from when it came out and probably hadnt listened to it since. Nice to hear it again. The Mess We’re In with Thom Yorke was another one that stood out. Probably a 3.49 so I’ll round down to 3

PJ Harvey is an artist name I'd never heard of and that, unfortunately, slips away as if it were a clothing label or department store brand. Easily allusive and forgettable, but thankfully the music isn't that — the sound is accessible yet memorable. As soon as I heard the voice, I wondered "Oh, maybe it's the woman on the album cover?" — a surprisingly raw and grungy sound when contrasted with the first impression that picture gives! My next impression was that she sounds like Nick Cave. I don't think I've managed to exist at both ends of the "surprised spectrum" as much as when I read they were partners... Have you ever noticed couples who look like twins or siblings, and it feels super weird? A few of these tracks are interesting. I like her voice, musical talent, and easy-to-grasp lyrics. I'm reminded of Feist — an artist I adore to my core — but I think this teeters too much on things I didn't enjoy: repetitive grunge mood, trying too hard to be haunting, and boring melodies. Suddenly, the unmistakable voice of Thom Yorke! They sound good together on the track, but it feels wasted on a relatively boring few minutes. When I realized he was also on an earlier track, I wondered how they managed to waste his talent even more on that one. That's almost 8 minutes of Thom Yorke where I somehow didn't think "wow, this guy fucking gets it" and I feel like I must've missed something. Alanis Morissette also comes to mind in a good way and so, based on the timeline, I must give credit to Harvey for paving the way for artists like Morissette and Feist. However, this album experience is falling short for my ears. It hasn't kept my attention for the whole 40 minutes. It redeems itself quite a lot with the final track but the middle of the album was truly "mid" — and I didn't enjoy the wailing. I can understand why some people could love and be inspired by this work, though... just not me. 3.5

Man, I really want to love this album, but it just isn’t clicking with me. I just can’t fully get into indie music yet. I can tell there’s something special here, though, and with more time and the right mindset, I think it’ll hit harder. For now, I can’t give it higher than a 7.5/10. I’ll come back to this one when I’m ready for indie.

Voix féminine qui change un peu, sympa mais un peu toujours pareil

J'étais enthousiaste au début de l'album mais finalement ça ne m'a pas transcendé. Sympa mais sans plus! 3/5

3.5, but might revisit

I liked the songs, just not my usual style!

I’ve tried many times but I can’t get into PJ. The songs just seem boring and empty

Didn’t like it then liked it, so listened to it again. Didn’t like it then liked it again. Probably a 3.5 rounded down.

It's just OK.

2.5 stars It all kind of blurred together for me. Some tracks were better than others, but honestly my favorite song was the Thom Yorke song and it was sung by Thom Yorke. That being said, it wasn’t bad. But I wouldn’t recognize these songs in another context.

I remember one of my middle school teachers telling me I would probably like PJ Harvey, and I didn't listen to her then. My teacher was right, I probably would have been into her back then.

First time actually listening to this album and it's decent. Nice cameo from Thom Yorke.

Kind of forgettable for me and wasn't crazy about the mixes

I like Horses in My Dreams and Beautiful Feeling because I'm kind of sucker for that kind of guitar. In general I'm not the biggest fan of PJ Harvey's music and I'm glad this exercise forced me to at least listen all the way through once.

Good indy. Classic PJ.

3.25

Better than I thought it would be

An okay alt-pop album. Reminiscent of Alanis Morrisette without the distinctive voice. Everything here is competent, but nothing here is truly great.

I wasn’t a PJ Harvey fan when she was at her peak, though I wasn’t against her. About the only thing I knew from her was her appearance on Beavis & Butthead with the song, 50 Ft. Queenie. I also heard her on Josh Homme’s Desert Sessions album, vol. 9 & 10, I think. So I went into this album cold, though not afraid. She’s a rocker. Pretenders Critics say this album is her best, and it is really good. The album came out in 2000, so it still has a ’90s sound to it. Harvey is a great singer, and she reminded me immediately of Chrissy Hynde from the Pretenders, a band I like, though I'm not a superfan. The album also includes an appearance by Thom Yorke from Radiohead. While I enjoyed the album, and maybe this is a Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois hangover, it just didn’t make that big an impression on me. It’s good and I’m sure some of you would really like it, but I’m not sure I’ll even remember the title in a year. Perhaps I’ve heard too much in my day. This sounds like 1995-2003. It’s good, but not great. I do love the song Big Exit, which is Harvey’s feelings about being exposed to the gun culture in America. Both songs with Yorke are great, and I loved The Whores Hustle The Hustlers Whore. If you like that kind of alt-rock from the late 90s, I think you’d dig this album, but I don’t really think it’s that special. Maybe three weeks from now, it’ll draw me back for another listen, who knows?

A decent album that I feel like could be 4 stars if I was in the right mood. Definitely some great songs on it.

seductive

Pretty good and I'm sure it was ahead of its time. It was cool catching Thom Yorke in there, and I can definitely see the impact on someone like Courtney Barnett.

3/5

She has a soothing voice. ★★★

Sounds like a strange mix of Patti Smith/Television/CBGB scene but updated with the smooth/suburban production aesthetic of the early 2000s….Somehow it kind of works?? She’s got a great voice. I’m not as crazy about the acoustic/whsiper-y songs and get a little bored with ‘love letter to New York’ type songs. Pleasant surprise to hear Thom Yorke on there. Overall, mostly enjoyed.

Sounds like P Harvey

I've been meaning to listen to PJ! It's good. And hearing Thome Yorke half way in was a nice surprise. Fav song: Kamikaze

I like PJ Harvey. I don't love this album. I also once again find myself wondering "why this album"? I guess 1001 is a lot of albums.

I happened to hear about PJ Harvey recently, in the sense that she's a well-known artist. Well, she wasn't that well-known to me. Pretty good music.

Mouais/10

From what I remember, she really mellows out in this one (or did that first happen earlier?) It's decent, but I'd rather listen to most of my favorite more straightforwardly indiepop albums than hear PJ Harvey approximate the same thing.

Not bad, great collab with Thom Yorke I wasn't aware of

Should revisit

It wasn't a bad album just kinda one of the more meh ones, not bad not good but ok!

7/10

I half like this. Its kinda that ethereal whispy thing I dont like but it has some edge in places. Kamakazi is one of the songs I liked. Thumb yorke is here and im not sure how to feel about that. It at least is interesting to listen to. It held my attention the whole time but I dont see myself back to this one again.

I liked it. Will definitely investigate more.

Nice, topical nyc lyrics lol

Cool album, love the tune with Thom.

A lot of elements from the Clash, I'm not the biggest fan of the Clash and certainly not the biggest fan of the style through this artist. However, I'm sure it's amazing for others, just not my thing.

It's a good album, PJ Harvey can write good, interesting songs and shows this throughout the album,I specially liked the second half. I liked her singing style, sort of laidback but still expressive. Instrumentally it's pretty straightforward. My favourite tracks were "A Place Called Home" and "This Mess We're In".

It was an ok album, I liked the music for the most part. I was not a big fan

Not bad. Refreshing to hear a female English singer. Songs about the city that never sleeps. Not really my jam. Just ok

Not bad. Kinda fills a similar niche to Fiona Apple. Often moody, often upbeat. Harvey has a nice smokey voice. Feels quite 2000s, in a good way. A lot of the time this feels like Radiohead, or maybe the Thom York feature just got me thinking about them.

It was ok

I think that this album is why I thought I didn't like PJ Harvey. A bit disappointing after how much I enjoyed Rid of Me

i loved all of this except the thom yorke ambush

Personally not a big fan. Not sure what it is might be her style of singing but didnt enjoy this one as much

An interesting rock album, though not one that is exactly to my taste. This is Love stood as particularly memorable. Most of the other pieces were alright, though I think some of the lyrics were questionable

Du vieux rock sympa Rien de surprenant cependant

PJ Harvey giving some Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) vibes on Good Fortune 3 songs in, it's ok so far, but not great. Kind of one note late 90s early 2000s stuff Beautiful Feeling feels like a Thom Yorke before he even starts singing. Kinda liking the ethereal feeling of it I like this other Thom Yorke song, This Mess We're In Ooh Kamikaze slaps This is Love, meh Kind of coffee house, punk ish (I mean that in the loosest way), 2000s drama soundtrack vibes. Not totally my cup of 'coffee', but it's artful and fun at times. Didn't resonate, but hey imma big dumb boy

Grungy. Listenable.

PJ goes full Fiona Apple here. Favorite track: Big Exit 3.5/5

Decent indierock, not my genre but clearly well crafted

Thom Yorke is on this one

Alright

This is a perfectly OK album, but feels like an attempt at something radio-friendly or even late 90s adult-contempo by PJ. The gloss isn’t unwelcome nor ill-fitting (as was part of the critique at its release, which I didn’t share), but that she never returned to something in this guise makes it feel like a dalliance. It *was* financially successful and she could’ve continued mining this format, but works like Let England Shake or the preceding Is This Desire? show an artist with much more complex aesthetic concerns. She tried this one on, it more or less worked, and she moved on.

Muy agradable de escuchar no la conocia pero iconica

Enjoyed listening. New to me.

I love PJ Harvey, but I prefer Dry over this album.

nikakav specijalan utisak mi nije ostavio

carino

Cool album, I’ve not heard this before, and although I am not a big Thom Yorke fan I like her, so I'll listen again.

Album bien, para tener de fondo, tampoco me dice mucho más. Nota: 7,2/10

This is a note to myself to come back to this. Because I should like this. I can see why other people would. But there is something about this that just didn't click for me. The Vienna of albums.

Aufgenommen im Great Linford Manor bei Milton Keynes, präsentiert PJ Harvey auf ihrem fünften Studioalbum einen klarer produzierten, songorientierten Sound, der sich vom raueren Charakter ihrer frühen Werke entfernt. Die britische Musikerin verbindet Elemente aus Indie- und Alternative Rock mit melodischen Strukturen, die stark von ihrer Zeit in New York City geprägt sind. Neben der kernigen Rhythmussektion und eingängigen Gitarrenriffs sorgen ruhige, introspektive Momente für Ausgleich. Besonders markant ist die Zusammenarbeit mit Thom Yorke, dessen Gesang in „This Mess We’re In“ und Hintergrundstimmen in weiteren Titeln einen atmosphärischen Kontrast setzen. Bekannte Stücke wie „Good Fortune“, „A Place Called Home“ und „This Is Love“ zählen heute zu den charakteristischen Songs ihres Repertoires. Insgesamt wirkt das Album geschlossen, urban inspiriert und in seiner Balance zwischen Energie und Melancholie gut austariert.

Solid album, probably wouldn't listen again but was fine. Loads of buzz about PJ Harvey winning the mercury prize a couple (?) of times but I don't really get through hype 6/10

So I'm a fan of PJ Harvey. I know this album reasonably well but for some reason it never really hits as effectively as what I'd consider her best work. There's a lot of great music on it, but was it too polished? I think she's best when being more abrasive and confrontational.

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea – PJ Harvey (2000) | Alternative Rock | Avg: 5.58 | Favorite Song: “You Said Something” This PJ Harvey album feels like her attempt at accessibility—cleaner, more melodic, and far less abrasive than Rid of Me—but based on your ratings, it doesn’t seem to fully deliver. “You Said Something” emerges as the high point, bringing a sense of clarity and emotional warmth that much of the album lacks. A few other tracks inch toward that 7 range, but most settle firmly in the mid-5s, suggesting that while the album is more listenable than some of her earlier work, it doesn’t necessarily strike a deep chord either. There’s a recurring feeling here of almost—but not quite. The songwriting is solid, the vocals are emotive, and the production is clean, but the spark isn’t always there. It’s the kind of album that plays well in the background but rarely demands attention. Compared to Harvey’s more intense records, Stories from the City is undeniably more approachable, yet that smoothness might be what holds it back. It’s a competent listen, just not a gripping one.

This is ok. I don’t love it but it isn’t bad. Kind of a rough start until the whores hustle. Songs added to/on playlist: 0 Solid 3/5

I like her voice and I thought the music was put together very well. Not my cup of tea but I still enjoyed my time with it.

I liked this one, it was pretty decent the vocals were all pretty good and I liked the production a decent amount. I particularly liked “Good Fortune”. It’s like three and a half stars.

Pretty good, I liked about half the album and would listen again. Some songs weren’t my style, but some were.

Artiste connue et album connu, vite oublié, sauf le morceau 'This Wicked Tongue' qui est en bonus de cet album, et qui est bien plus original (plus rock, dissonant, chorus). Même si j'apprécie assez sa voix, je trouve les premiers morceaux plutôt ennuyeux. Et j'ai eu vite envie de faire autre chose. Heureusement quelques morceaux au milieu de l'album sont un peu plus intéressants ('One Line', 'The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore', 'This Mess We're In'), ou dynamiques ('Kamikaze'), ce qui pourrait me donner envie de l'écouter de nouveau. =>3/5

i really really liked the mess we’re in, but as a whole the album didn’t really stand out to me too much, and (i may be wrong but) the social commentary aspects felt more like an item checked off a to-do list rather than genuine observations. i liked both of her other albums on this list better than this one, but credit where credit is due the cover photo eats

I should like it but I don’t. Instrumentals sound good and I appreciate the artistic spunk but not my jam

I liked the track Horses In My Dreams here. And the end of the closing track

The album grew on me as it went. Pretty good overall

PJ Harvey is a singer-songwriter for people who don't like singers-songwriters (so me). Since they usually focus on vocals more than anything else, instrumentation on singer-songwriters' albums tends to be an afterthought and pretty boring, in my opinion. But PJ Harvey has a bunch of great riffs and overall more present and exciting instruments, which I prefer over complete focus on vocals. This album, however, leans a bit to much into the singer-songwriter part for my liking and has more slow, laid backs songs, so I enjoyed less than Dry. The album is still good overall, but she has a least one album (I haven't heard any more) that is closer to my preferences. 7/10

Big Exit 4.5/10 Good Fortune 6/10 Beautiful Feeling 5.5/10 This is love 6/10 This mess we are in 5/10 you said something 5.5/10 we float 6/10

This was alright, decent alt rock.

I liked it. Good voice and good vocal lines.

My mood was great today. It became okay

Perfectly adequate early 2000’s alt-rock laced with some nice guitar, shades of Nick Cave mixed with U2, and an unexpected but welcome cameo from Thom Yorke. ‘This Is Love’ and ‘Horses In My Dreams’ are my favourite cuts off this, whilst I seem to remember ‘Good Fortune’ and ‘A Place Called Home’ got played a lot on the radio at the time. This was fine overall.

I like this one. I think only 3 stars though, but This Mess We're In is an amazing song to me!

A NY love letter. Didn’t know too much about PJ Harvey but did enjoy it overall especially the Thom Yorke collabs: “this mess we’re in”

I’ve long skirted around PJ due to her former relationship with Nick Cave who I love but rarely actually listened to her properly. I definitely like some tracks more than others. Overall it’s not my favourite sound, some of it rocks but a lot is also not terribly interesting to me. This Is Love probably my top track. Not an album I’ll come back to likely.

Bastante guay, de 12 canciones he metido 5 a mi playlist. Las demas no estaban del todo mal pero no me han acabado de convencer. Le pondria 3,5 estrellas pero no puedo meter medios, asi q pongo 3

Sounds almost like a newer Pretenders album.

Naja

Some very good tracks, great opener but some songs a bit screamy

Couple of days on from saying that Let England Shake was 𝘯𝘰𝘵 my favourite PJ Harvey work, I now know what 𝘪𝘴. It's this one. She's still got the edge and anger from her early work but there are some really complete and accomplished songs here. Is it maybe too safe or pedestrian in places? Yeah it is. But she's matured and the songwriting and poetry is obviously a bit more subtle than 'lick my legs, I'm on fire'. I don't love the Thom Yorke duets but are there many other recording artists who could casually just call up the lead singer of Radiohead and get him to do some vocals on their album? I still don't think I'm coming back to listen to this all that much and I feel four PJ Harvey albums is a little more than needed, but glad to have had a good rummage through her highlights.

Skjønner mer av hypen rundt PJ Harvey nå, men treffer meg ikke helt. Kule låter og partier, men gir meg lite. Beste låt: This Mess We're In

This is like if Fiona Apple was good

7/10

PJ seems to be channeling both Chrissie Hynde and Liz Phair here quite a bit. But I found her most engaging when she was just being herself. Those are the most enjoyable tracks for me, anyways- “Big Exit,” “This Mess We’re In,” “This is Love,” “Kamikaze.” A few of the other tunes feel like they could’ve used a bit more time in the incubator. It rocks, it soothes, it tries to scare you a little. Good times. THREE STARS.

Nice background music. Nothing to capture my attention. 3/5

Clearly a grower that hasn’t yet grown on me. Some good tunes but nothing that particularly stands out on first listen. I’ll have to revisit.

The album cover is so familiar, but u dont recognize anything on this album. This is my third PJ Harvey, and none of them stand out.

Somewhat mystifyingly her most popular album but not her best. Rather let down by Thom Yorke’s tuneless whining.

Sorry Peej, max 3 as you've already had an album. Love the Thom Yorke guest. As I said earlier, prefer the later stuff.

Fascinating artist from the (well at least my) glory days of 120 Minutes who sometimes but doesn't always do it for me. We Float is gorgeous.

Regular

Yeah, it's pretty nice. Doesn't blow me away or anything. But quite nice

I want to like this, but I guess there’s a reason I never got super into PJ Harvey.

A staggering amount of PJ Harvey on this list. She's good I guess?

Solid.

This was ok. Nothing grabbed my attention, but each song was listenable, and occasionally enjoyable.

Lots of respect. Great lyrics. Great listen. Not exactly my genre but I dig it