Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

It's for someone, just not me.

Decent.

You said something, best tune. Chrissie Hynde-esque

Pretty great indie rock album! Not something I'd listen to often but I enjoyed it.

Started to pick up halfway through. Not a big fan of pj.

No lo repetiría

This is genuinely one of the most engaging albums I've ever heard so yes, I agree this is an album you need to hear before you die. 10/10 Amazing

I had caught PJ Harvey touring this album in Berlin - and it was the first big name I got to watch live - and it was incredible - set in Museuminsel among grand old buildings and Polly Jean playing Good Fortune - it will always be a big part of my life. Listening to this album again welled up those memories as well as made me appreciate objectively what a lovely record this is end to end - moody, melodic and for once I really appreciate Thom Yorke’s contributions. To me this is an awesome record undoubtedly.

Total New York City vibes here. PJ Harvey is one of a kind and delivers another gem on this one.

This surprised me, really good album. The production was notably strong, just a good mix to my untrained ears. Can’t put my finger on why I enjoyed it but I did. Thanks PJ 4/5

Just didn’t get on with this. Safe, boring album

Already loved this mess we’re in but hadn’t given the full album a go, really liked it especially the slightly heavier songs, great stuff

A solid entry. I'm glad I listened. 2.5 listens. Stand out track for me is A Place Called Home. The tunes with Thom Yorke in the are also quite good. Specifically the vocal layering in The Mess We're In is an interesting decision. I definitely hear some Patti Smith in there but I also don't have a ton of experience with any of Patti's music.

Polly Jean is great. But one album is enough. Most acts only need one. So this is a solid 3.5. But I’m giving it one. When will you critics understand she’s not interested in you. It’s probably a must listen PJ Harvey album. Not a must listen 1000 album.

I immediately feel in love with the music of PJ Harvey when she first appeared, and her first three albums were all played repeatedly and religiously at my house. I found her powerful, emotional, honest and with the ability to surprise and disturb. I really liked the raw production of her first two records, and the change to unsettling "To Bring You My Love" was welcome. The brooding, seething restraint of To Bring You My love is a masterpiece that I am, frankly, surprised to see is not on this list. But, as I listened to less new music in the late 90s and early 2000s, I lost track of her new releases. I certainly continued to read about PJ Harvey, and saw her live at the Enmore Theatre in the 2000s (she was awesome) Which brings me to this album, that I do not love in the same way. She produced it to be more 'beautiful' and pop (in her own way). It was a big success (especially in America) and the sheen clearly worked. But I miss the drama. I miss her ability to surprise and disturb me. I miss her rocking out (Kamikaze excepted). I feel like she took the wrong lessons from Radiohead (whose post-OK computer albums are clearly a big influence here); a mood is not preferable to the drama of great rock music. And it won the Mercury Prize, which is a usual signpost of mediocre crap. There are some parts of the record that remind me of her previous work, although never quite to the standard. I mean, the lyrics to "the Whores Hustle..." are an embarassing first draft that never should have made the released record (although I find it compelling musically). Am I judging this too harshly based on this not being as great as her previous records? I think maybe so. This is certainly better than many, many records on this list, and a shit load better than most UK indie of the same vintage. 3.5 stars, rounding up

on one hand, i think anyone can make a PJ Harvey record. this isn't a bad thing; her songs are brutal, visceral, straightforward as a punch to a chin. if you care enough about your art and how you can push it without ever breaking it into unidentifiable bits, like some car speeding down the highway with bits falling off of its chassis, i think you could make something similar to a PJ Harvery record, even something almost as good as "Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea". like a vegan hot dog. on the other hand, nobody can make a PJ Harvey record except PJ Harvey. you can try to sing like her, you can thrash on your guitar, you can write your nice little hooks and it'll still be like trying to beat a cheetah in a footrace. you could even do the nice little touch of having the last two tracks of the album be relatively quiet comapred to everything that came before. but it just won't be as good. i'm sorry. every time i familiarize myself with her art further, the more and more sure i am that the whole "she was going to try out to do vocals on the third Slint album!" thing is complete bullshit. Nick Cave, as often as Harvey is compared to him, is still someone i could see being in a band. not so for PJ. so, it's a nine. honestly, if i spend more time with this, it might be a ten. i don't think i have a single track i even dislike here. need to get to know it a bit better, i guess.

Great album. I didn't remember that Thom Yorke was on this album, as I haven't listened to it in a long time. I don't think it is an album that will blow people away, but it is just solid all the way through, and PJ Harvey has an attitude and aura that can't be denied.

Love a bit of PJ. I’d like to know her, she seems fun

A good rock album with a singer who has a really good voice for the kind of music she makes. It reminds me a bit of Fleetwood Mac at times. The more mainstream rock music and her smoother on the verge of raspy(?) voice creates songs that I will come back to in the future.

wish i could give this a 3.5 but nvm pj Harvey is very good and her voice is amazing but her music doesn’t always rlly grab me or do anything too crazy for me from what ive heard but the last two songs here are beautiful

I don't think this reinvented the wheel in any big way (and it doesn't need to), because PJ Harvey is in her bag on this LP. The tried and true rock influences, the Thom York feature, the weirdness of PJ all work well together.

The tone of this album is very striking. Murky with an excellent pop sense. Harvey is an artist that has unfortunately gone mostly unnoticed by me.

Did not enjoy, it is not my vibe

A few songs I enjoyed on here. Not really my sort of thing though, couldn't "get" it I'd never heard of PJ Harvey - her voice is not what I was expecting at all based off the album cover. Pleasantly surprised 3 ⭐️

Has 90s alt rock sound

Really boring. Im not a big fan

surprise thom yorke feature, not once but twice

I did not mind this album. It is not something I usually listen to, so I doubt I will ever listen to it again.

Decent

I don't know why anyone would listen to a full album of PJ Harvey when Kate Bush, Patti Smith, and Joni Mitchell did what she does much earlier, and much better. Still, there are good individual tracks to be found, but this album isn't great as a whole. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing

Good indie rock album, liked it much better than Rid of Me.

People say this is her best album. For years I've been saying it's "White Chalk." Hot take I know, but maybe I was wrong. Gimme a break okay?

Grunge- leaning rock

hypnotizing voice. i saved "beautiful feeling" " the whores hustle and the hustlers whore" which is an amazing track. my favorite is "the mess we're in" with Tom York vocals, such a pleasure to have him sing by surprise. A little bit too much New York centered for me. on the other hand she's not really good with the high note parts like in the song "kamikaze" which is painfully difficult to listen to.

I got quite into this album. Listened to it several times. Some nice variation. The stuff with Thom Yorke is interesting, but drags away from PJ herself.

I feel like the parts were better than the whole. She has a fantastic voice. Angsty moody vibes. Maybe it's the lack of hook that didn't connect with me or just the energy wasn't right. Can't put my finger on it. 'The Whores Hustle and The Hustlers Whore' and 'Kamikaze' are cool songs. 'The Mess We're In' was beautifully done.

This was alright, but reminded me a lot of Concrete Blonde and if I had a choice between the two I would listen to the latter.

Never really liked her when she’d appear on Letterman, but this one surprised me…really enjoyed it. Hearing Thom Yorke’s voice pop up on "The Mess We're In" was a pleasant surprise. Will listen to this one again.

Fav: Kamikaze Least Fav: Beautiful Feeling She really likes New York I guess ft Thom Yorke for some reason

Third quote-unquote 'grunge' album in a row. There are a couple of amazing tracks in here but you have to sift through a lot of average stuff. Could have used an edit. Big Exit opens with a tense guitar shimmers and Kim Gordon esque vocals echoing down the street. Good Fortune is a bit grating to be honest, Harvey wants to make her sound more beautiful but can't quite get there all the time. A Place Called Home does it better with jangly guitars, piano and dulcet overdubs in the chorus. One Line elevates things further with a slow 7:4 crescendo. The album finally hits the mark with Beautiful Feeling with a percussion-less dirge reminiscent of Swans when they were doing beautiful stuff. The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore feels like it falls off a bit, again trying to have it both ways with beauty and power. The studio tricks at the end are pretty cool but the chorus leans way too heavily on wordplay for the effect she was aiming for. Thom Yorke adds little to This Mess We're In and I have a lot less respect for the other people doing the project after seeing so many of you say that you think this is the highlight of the album. You Said Something is pretty average sub-Pogues alt-folk, tonally at odds with the rest of the album. Kamikaze is fun with jungle breaks and PJ hitting the whistle register. This is Love is perfectly fine grunge tribute to hard rock, something which has been done by every group since Sonic Youth multiple times. Horses in My Dreams is a beautiful cinematic ballad, again in the vein of late 80s Swans. We Float is cool in that it actually feels kind of future-focused, blissful pianos and synths and a (unfortunately quite boring) eurobeat break combined with a soaring chorus. Like a lot of the later stuff in the list it suffers from being out-of-joint with the times. I want to hear what the early 2000s sound like (even if it doesn't hit the mark), not well made tributes to 10+ years earlier. I'm looking forward to listening to some of Harvey's earlier works eventually.

i felt so much and yet im struggling with actual words. this is p much exactly how i think Guitar Music should sound, just an unbelievable production job on this...its not ornate or lavish, its still got some grit to it, but its so lush and beautiful in its sound and melodic ideas. ik pj harvey is a rly chameleonic artist (one that shamefully this was my first real sit-down listen with!) so i dont expect all her records to be the same way but regardless of what her other music is like i cant imagine a more appealing introduction for Me Specifically...just smooths out my ears and head and heart, the combination of mystical vibes and down to earthness evident in everything from its words to its timbres. one of my fave new listens in the whole project probably

3.2 Think this my third PJ Harvey album, and the first one I've enjoyed to be honest. Still can't do a bit of the shouty ones (which is bizarre as someone who loves metal) but the more laid back ones are good. Last 3 tracks (excluding bonus) are a solid ending.

YES. I have been sleeping on this for a while, because wow its much better than I thought. I think I have passively listened to this before, but I didn't realise just how good all round it is. It has a great mix of her earlier abrasive heavier rock sounds, and also some singer-songwriter/soft rock type ones, like the Thom Yorke ones, which are both great. Nothing bad whatsoever. The abrasive singing could be bad for some people but I think it makes some songs. Favourite songs: ABSOLUTLEY ALL OF THEM (not in a lazy way). Overall around 9/10

I’m scratching my head on yet another one. How is this an album that I needed to listen to. It bring nothing to the table. It’s even as if PJ lost a step with this one. Instead of venturing into the darkness, she went headfirst into the land of bubblegum and sunshine. Well, it’s more likely she had one foot in the darkness still. This isn’t what i expected to hear from her.

Unauffällig.

She’s alright

Damn Good album. My first album by PJ Harvey. The collab between PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke on This Mess We're in is wow!

Sonidos repetitivos y, bueno pero no comparado con los demás.

Meh

Up until this moment in her discography, there have been certain PJ songs that I’ve loved for their killer guitar sounds. Others, her incredible vocals. Some for her songwriting, melodically and/or lyrically. Some for solid arrangements and production. Literally every single one of those aspects is on full display on “Big Exit”, continuing her streak of outstanding opening tracks. The soundscape is wonderfully big without ever feeling bombastic (I especially love the textural piano), and everything sounds appropriately clear without feeling overly sheen. It’s the perfect opening to what I think is a pretty perfect album. Not only do I think it’s consistently her strongest record yet as a lyricist, I also think it’s her most musically rewarding. The way she’s able to juxtapose the jangly guitars on “Big Exit” and “Good Fortune” with their overall darker soundscapes and subject matters is so damn cool; I also love her channeling of Patti Smith’s vocals on the latter. I love the melodica on “A Place Called Home”, the vibraphone on “One Line”, Thom Yorke’s effective backing vocals on “Beautiful Feeling”, the relationship between the acoustic guitar and piano on “Horses in My Dreams”…everything just *sounds* perfect. And the balance of rockers - “The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore”, “This Is Love”, and the extremely frenetic “Kamikaze” are my favorites - and mid-tempo songs/ballads is also solid. Practically every song is a highlight; I can’t not mention “You Said Something”, which features one of my all-time favorite melodies and set of lyrics from her. Her vocals at the end of “The Whores Hustle…” are just otherworldly. “We Float” is a solid closer. No matter how many times I hear this record, I end up noticing another musical element or lyrical nugget that blows me away. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is her best album. 5/5

Fabulous album

Quite liked it. 3/5

Like a musical walk through a city you can't help but love.

This list loves it's PJ, and I get it! I missed out on the majority of her music when it was current with the exception of a few singles. I'm glad this list is making me go back and give it an honest listen. PJ has great vocals and all of the songs are well written and arranged (I had issues with the album Rid Of Me, also on this list, for sounding like it was cobbled together from parts and not played as a band). I especially enjoyed the 2 tracks with Thom Yorke. I'll be coming back to this album again in the future for sure

Prefiro pj esquisita e longe do Thom Yorke

essa música com o yorke é extremamente cafona mas o resto tem uns acertos bons e outros apenas ok

Not sure why I thought I was familiar with this artist… or why I thought she was a male British rapper. So I was pleasantly surprised! I got some hints of female grunge and (yes I know PJ predates her) Lana Del Rey. I really, really liked it.

Great album, have loved it for over 20 years

I liked it

3.5

Empieza bien, después se riquelmea un poco

This is a really interesting album. Lots of the songs had a 4+2 rhythm/feel (as opposed to 3/4), which I like. I probably have to listen to it a few more times to fully get it. The Thom Yorke collaborations were nice. Liked Songs Added: The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore

Found myself enjoying this, especially the tracks with appearances with Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Definitely the sort of music I like, but i didn't find any of the songs getting stuck in my head, so would need a few listens to see if anything really sticks.

I quite liked the album, a blend of rock and love songs (albeit for New York City).

Nunca había oído hablar de esta persona. Es bastante guay en general y lo volveré a escuchar, pero no creo que me vaya a acordar de ninguna canción.

One of my absolute favourite albums. No notes. We Float is perfection. The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore remains one of the most exquisite live experiences of my life. Just pure love.

Enjoyable, lots of variation.

2.5

Overall not too much of a stand out to me. Like it was a nice vibe to listen to, but wouldn't actively listen again (background music). But too much repetition and similar song structures across the album to be super interesting. Piano in A Place Called Home and layered vocals nice (contrast with lyrical and spoken word). Probably the best track on the album for me in terms of vocal and instrumental interest and variety.

Repetitive riffs and screechy vocals. Absolutely nothing interesting here.

Exciting, and thoroughly enjoyable the whole way through. I don't have too much to say about it. I seems like I never find much to say about PJ Harveys music. She is oh so cool and hip and alternative, as always. And the execution is superb, as always. I suppose she is a bit more commercial sounding this time around. My only gripe was the displeasure of having to hear Thom novocaine-sounding-ass Yorke on one of the songs. Oh well.

Instead of listening to PJ Harvey's "Stories from the City", we listened to "To Bring You Me Love" which had a few really good songs and a few that left us a little flat. overall 7.5 worth a listen.

"PJ Harvey...isn't she like an alternative rock chick? Pretty sure my friends who worked at the alt-rock station back in the day loved her." "PJ Harvey...wait, wasn't she in the Batman Forever soundtrack? That was my jam in middle school!" "PJ Harvey...is she like Liz Phair? Actually I don't know what she sounds like either." PJ Harvey is a name I'm familiar with but I can't for the life of me think of anything I've heard by her. For an album released in 2000, I'm a little surprised I haven't heard it, but then again I wasn't exactly seeking out good music my senior year of high school. I started this album, then, with concepts of an expectation. 90s alt rock, female vocalist. What I wasn't expecting was something that evoked Radiohead for me. This made a lot more sense when I had two more revelations: 1) she WAS on the Batman Forever soundtrack, so I had definitely heard (and probably liked) her before, and 2) maybe she gave me Radiohead vibes on purpose. Not only is it a similar era as some of their finest work, but Thom Yorke literally shows up on one of the songs on this album (and it's fire). You can probably see where I'm going with this: I really dig this album. It's moody, atmospheric and beautiful throughout; however, it did bore me at times and isn't quite a "masterpiece" I see myself repeatedly returning to. Not all of the songs hit me in good ways and sometimes I was either bothered by her lyrics or I couldn't understand them. I swear on "Horses in my Dreams" she kept saying "I poo myself." So there's that. But yeah, a solid offering and I'm glad I listened to it. I definitely won't be writing off Liz Phair, I mean PJ Harvey, in the future. 3.5 out of 5 for me.

i want to lick her hairy armpits 😍😍😍

35/1001 - A lot of the problems I had with "Rid of Me" aren't present in this album. Some instrumentals are still on the safe/boring side: providing a "bed of sound" for the voice instead of reacting to it (which to me is a lot of the fun in rock). The Thom Yorke duet was neat. I liked it more than I thought I would.

I like this album more than some of the others I've heard from her.

Chulo thom yorke

Second half of the album is a lot stronger than the first.

I just can’t get into her voice and delivery.

Just ok. Pretty forgettable. 🤷🏻‍♂️

i love u pj

I enjoyed this album very much and I heard a sound that I'm not quite familiar with. Love the rawness in vocals and guitar on quote a few of the tracks.

Fantastic album, best so far

A surprise smash

Recontra medio pelo, tranqui, medio folk-pop. Tiene 2 temas con Tom Yorke, uno bueno, pero no deja tanto.

Legend

Great transition album, from sexy punk goddess to bard/poet

Ok, but not more than that.

I think this may have to grow on me a little... I liked it though! I liked Let England Shake a lot back when it came out but I haven't really dug into PJ's catalogue!

She's cool! Perhaps the first album of hers I've listened to!

i want to love pj harvey so much more ... i need to SUBMERGE

I’m sorry but miss PJ thought she was hitting that shit but she was not. Those high notes had me cringing and some of the repetitive lines too. I’m glad she had a good time finding herself in the city and growing tough skin but I grew enough listening to this album.

Excellent album! I’ve always thought to myself that you can’t define PJ Harvey, and you can’t guarantee you’ll like what she puts out either. But this, this is tremendous!

This is the first album where I was completely unfamiliar. It immediately registered as a British indie rock sound. This is not my thing so I lowered my expectations after a couple songs. In the end, I thought it was well-executed for what it was with 3 - 5 songs I enjoyed including the two featuring Thom Yorke. I would not return to this album, but it was pleasant enough.

The beginning of this album didn’t really grab me but once it was a third or so through, something clicked and I found myself really enjoying PJ Harvey’s raw lyricism and tightrope of genre trends that came with the new century. Some stuff is very ‘90s - it rules. My standout track is “The Mess We’re In” because I’m a Thom Yorke shill, but this is an album that blooms when listened to in whole. Never gave PJ Harvey a try before this but I enjoy the vibes this one gives off.

[4/10] Just sounds like off-the-shelf rock n roll most of the time

I really didn't like PJH until I heard Let England Shake, which I thought was amazing, dynamic, loud and interesting, this album takes me back to the Rid of Me and My Love albums where there just wasn't anythingn that I could grasp ahold of. Listening to Thom Yorke on a track was a nice surprise, but on the whole, I wasn't impressed or dissapointed. I was just meh with this one.

PJ Harvey is one of the artists I’m most thankful to the 1001 for. She went from being a name I knew but had always regretted not looking into more, to an artist I really like. Even as much as I like her, though, placing four albums on the list seems a bit much compared to her contemporaries. Not sure which one I’d remove. “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea” is really good. I particularly loved the Thom Yorke tracks, so clearly influenced by him, though they stand out from the rest of the album in a way that is both a positive and a detriment.

Better than I expected and much better than the other PJ album on the list. I particularly like the collaboration with Thom Yorke.

Now here’s a PJ Harvey album I want to hear again. When comparing this to the baseline of her 3 previous albums we heard, I almost gave an extra star. She said she tried to make this album more melodic. Yeah, more of this please PJ.

The shores hustle and the hustlers whore ist vielleicht ganz okay

A little long but mostly incredible

4.8/5 this was my introduction to PJ Harvey a while back and i absolutely love this album! i needed to change my perspective some at first and after that i really started loving it. my fave songs are probablyyy… - this mess we’re in (feat. thom yorke) - we float - one line

While listening to the first song, Big Exit, I thought I was going to really dislike this album because of the heavy rock yelling/screaming-like singing but I ended up liking her actual singing a lot more. Towards the end of Big Exit, I really liked what I was hearing - cool rock vibe. I loved the vocals with Thom Yorke (okayyy feature, love him always) The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore - love the electric guitar Fav: The Mess We're In - love thom yorke's voice and her voice together, his vocals are so good love the piano and guitar too like how it switches from slower to faster more rock-like melodies Really like the female rock voice and sound Fav: This Is Love

I don’t know. I tried listening to this album many times. I know it’s very critically acclaimed, I just done jive with it. I mean stylistically it’s very close to what I like, rugged singer songwriter with distorted guitars. It’s just too unaffected, too bored, it doesn’t connect with me.

Respect, but not my thing

Just saw her tour this fall. She is an incredible showman (show woman?). I have a real soft spot for her.

Definitely, PJ's most accessible album by far, but make no mistakes Harvey's artistry and songwriting are absolutely on point. When I originally heard SFC,SFS I felt disappointment. I felt that Harvey had compromised her artistry to make this straightforward rock/pop album, but the longer I lived with the album the more I appreciated it. Upon listening to it again today I see the absolute ridiculousness of my original assertions.

loved this record, awesome songwriting, cool atmospheres, good energy. 8/10

didnt like it boring

1 out of 5.

Хороший альбом, классный женский вокал

masterpiece

Incredibly consistent, fantastic, instant classic

Generic....

A perfect album. Love it.

Excellent from front to back. Not sure it stands out enough to be an essential listen, but if you are looking for a guitar rock record from that era to listen to then this would always be a good choice.

Loved the music. Solid vocals and very nice guitar work

An emotional 5 star. This was a favourite for a long time.

It's OK. The Thom Yorke song was good .

PJ Harvey always brings interest and excitement into each record.

Some songs we cool, others were fine. By the end I had lost interest in listening to the album.

Great late 90s jams

I got flannel vibes!

Finally no screaming

Middling for me, don't hate it don't want to particularly hear it again anytime soon. Started in a real monotone, 1 speed but got used to or picked up down the back end of the album. Don't understand why it's so liked to be fair, but guess that's the case for everything that doesn't float my boat. 2 star for the 1st half, 3 for the later - 2.5 star overall. And I hate cd hidden tracks even for bands I like it was a shit gimmick

Five consecutive days of four and five stars! This is Polly at her absolute best for me. It's still powerful and angsty, but it's really beautiful in places. I absolutely love the two big hits, especially You Said Something, but let's also give a shout out for We Float at the end, because that is tremendous. It sounds like the song that Sharon Van Etten (the greatest current songwriter IMO) heard immediately before she began her career. All round great stuff. Nice to get a bit of peak Yorke on here as well by the way, just months before the great Kid A comeback.

Indie alt rock

Really didn't enjoy the first 2 intro tracks but really dug everything after that.

Pretty good. A bit samey at times but good vibe and enjoyable lyricism. 3.5 stars.

Amazing!! Listened like 4 times in a day. She rocks.

All around a pretty good release from PJ. All around I found the songs pretty homogenous. Thom Yorke was of course a pleasant surprise. All around not bad. 3/5

another case of it’s not really my thing but i can appreciate the musicianship. it’s just soooo abstract-y idk i can’t really grasp the music well

this album was my ANTHEM when i was 13 years old, the title track made me so emotional as i haven’t listened to it in so long oh my god

Not very interesting 6/10

PJ Harvey has a ton of range and it's all on full display here. Excellent album.

Okay, but it didn't make me feel anything

I should have heeded the warning of the first song.

Literal indie girl walking around New York music. The overarching aesthetic of all critically acclaimed music from the last 30 years distilled into one photo. I’ve obviously heard of PJ Harvey, but I don’t think I’ve heard one second of her music. Fire away ol PJ. We have gentrifying to do. Whoa. Shouty. Music is nicer when it slows down, but oh boy that first 2 minutes was not great. It’s almost as if it’s trying to be a romantic pop but also have this edge that is cringe inducing. Not a strong start. N-o-o-o-o-o-o-o. Divorced mom radio music for vaguely conservative 20 somethings with a weaponized relationship to spirituality. Gross. Is this the Madonna water album again? Pass. Maybe this is the “sea” portion of the album. Now I’m just bored. That’s the most evil an album can get. From bad to bored is the most insidious combo that be inflicted upon your humble (and very weary) listener. RADIOHEAD CROSSOVER. RYM HAS HIT THEIR TRAFFIC LIMIT. This song is actually not bad, but it also sounds slightly like Creed intros for 2000 WWF shows. That’s my fucking wheelhouse. Oh man. I had serious money that Nick Cabe wrote this song. This vocal line screams our fourth favourite Australian Elvis impersonator. The lyrics do too by the way. I kind of like her insane vocalizing. He’s back. Radiohead man singing about New York. I mean am I wrong???? Is that what this list is? Why do people romanticize living in cities? When I am in large cities there is a palpable contempt, nay, hatred emanating from everybody with the target being everybody else. They are the loneliest places on earth despite being packed with the least interesting people from every town across the world. There are some interesting locals, but they are washed asunder by the droves of exiles from commuter towns across the continent who listen to and write albums like this. Hey, at least we can walk to that authentic Swahili barbecue/barbershop with the 29 dollar cocktails. Brooklyn mentioned. Seriously. Oh my god I can’t even make this up. I can’t despise this aesthetic anymore. This makes me so incredibly angry. What did he say????? Who cares right? We were young and artistic and important and on a roof in a particular city at 1am. We’re all in “Across the Universe.” If I wasn’t so mad at this thing, I’d probably like this song more. Quick, a little more chaotic, and the more insane vocals. Boring. Less insufferable but still veering that way with the repetition. Doesn’t a horse in your dream mean you’re about to drop a really shitty album? See, I like the weirdness of this one a little bit. If we stayed with the more eccentric low tones, I’d be far happier with this thing. Although this stays way too long. Lingering like the stench of urine after the L train passes or whatever. Oh buddy a radio hit. PJ is floating down here with the rest of us. PJ “Excess” Harvey?? We learn so much more about our songstress track by track. This blows HARD. Guess what. You’ll never guess. The woman who spent the last 45 minutes caterwauling about New York and attempting to create a city atmosphere is from A SMALL TOWN. In England no less, but same difference. I have detailed my feelings on the romanticism that gets erroneously spooned atop the concept of living in a large city and don’t need to give this album the satisfaction of doing it again. The music itself ranged from decent to abysmal and what we’re left with is an all but barren release carried by the decided poignance anointed by indie nerds. Whether you’re fading into a fentanyl coma in midtown Manhattan or in Antigonish, Nova Scotia dreaming of walkable vintage sweatpant bodegas, this album still sounds like an embarrassing collection of cliches thrown at the wall. Somebody come in and clean this up; it smells like gentrification. 1 HIGHLIGHTS: Beautiful Feeling, Kamikaze

I dunno, it's good I guess, but it also just doesn't resonate or stick with me at all.

Very bland and forgettable singer-songwriter rock. The second PJ Harvey album on the list (so far), and cuttable, in my opinion. The most memorable moment was when my computer unpaused this and Belly's Super-Connected at the same time and I thought I was listening to an extended sample, but the fact I didn't notice for a minute or particularly question it shows how little attention I was paying to the album as a whole.

Maybe the most “made for portable cd player” album ever. Feels like a product of its time but also feels like it inspired a lot of the women of today in the rock/punk space. Didn’t love it but I respect it. Favorite Song: this mess we’re in Saved songs: this mess we’re in, good fortune

Het is niet slecht, maar ik voel hem gewoon niet

This album didn't really hook me but I thought it was interesting which by my history usually gets a 3. This one was hard to rate because it really is slow and moody a lot of the time and really blends into the background in a good way I think. It's like a candle but kind of a post punk indie candle.

I've definitely heard a few PJ Harvey songs before but never really sought her music out. This album is a decent one, and it's got a good mix of brooding songs vs relatively poppy rock songs. I think I like the former more, especially the ones with Thom Yorke. That isn't necessarily because of his performance, but because the songs are just better. "Beautiful Feeling" is my favorite just from the songwriting perspective. I think the 4 or 5 tracks on the album are the best and it tapers off after "You Said Something", though "Horses in my Dreams" is a great low burn. Solid indie/alternative all in all, I'd listen to more of her stuff if it came around. Wish I could give it a 3.5.

LOVE

Jätte bra album, melodier är inte så "memorable" men det stör mig inte i det här fallet

Boring whiny Indie Rock.

great

10/10

I had tried some PJ Harvey in the past and not really loved it, but this one clicked for me (not sure if it right place right time or what). I have always enjoyed the Thom Yorke duets but the whole album was solid end to end. 4/5

Catchy and fun, dark and intense, and way weirder than your average alt-rock album

Really like this one, first time hearing the full album. Strong Patti Smith vibes. The only songs that let it down were the Thom Yorke collaborations, which come with his usual level of despair. 4/5

I can never quite get into PJ Harvey. Feels like something I should like, but it just doesn't do it for me.

More dull slow British rock. Eh. You Said Something was nice, and a few of the songs have nice music. But most of the album is just meh. A few of the songs are way too repetitive as well. Best song: You Said Something

mediocre, not really much else to say

I already like PJ Harvey's last 3 albums so this one is basically a no brainer of liking for me. I always forget how weird and interesting PJ's voice and writing is because so many songs are so distinctly her type of understated but great rock writing, especially in the opener, closer, A Place Called Home, Mess We're In, etc. Just a really strong album

I genuinely don't think there's anything I can say about this album that hasn't been said before, because it's so good and everyone knows it, but I will say this: it might be have the best album *title* ever. It's certainly one worthy of envy.

I said fuck it once, and fuck it again:

I spent the early 00's constantly reading spin telling me to listen to PJ Harvey and I never did. That was my bad. Great record.

Everything that is good about Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde is in PJ Harvey on this album!

There’s something I like about this raw sound.

This was my introduction to PJ Harvey - an artist I've been wanting to check out. The album really picked up for me in tracks 5-9 (incl. the song with the Radiohead guy) and I ended up really liking it after a somewhat mediocre start. She's a bit of a chameleon with her voice, at times sounding like some of the other 90s era ladies, at other times having a bit of a Chrissie Hynde vibe. The guitar riff on one track reminded me of Nirvana and it was fun to read Kurt Cobain was a fan of hers and she was asked to perform with the remaining members of the band after his death. I definitely want to listen to more of her.

Wish I liked this more.

I didn't enjoy this. I don't care for her singing. Can't say any of the music really grabbed me either. 2.5* rounded up.

Just really good indie rock. Abrasive and listenable.

Day384 - this is one i might need to listen to a few more times to see if i like it or not

She's bold and brassy, nice

This album tells me that I might like PJ Harvey on albums of hers that have less repetitive chords and wailing. I hear that. I just don't fully like this one.

Did not care for at all

A very decent album. Strong throughout

It’s alright, not great. Some creative rhythms but nothing that really lands for me. I think it’s a weird energy somewhere between emo and late 90s female singer-songwriters.

I think I get this album and the intentions behind it. I can feel the powerful emotions that were barred on display, the openness and vulnerability put out into the world in the lyrics. I’m just not sure if it’s really for me. PJ Harvey is clearly an incredibly talented vocalist, lyricist, songwriter, and musician. Sonically I appreciate every aspect that was put into this album. Thom Yorke’s vocal appearances on this record are really cool too, and he fits the vibe absolutely perfectly. I just had this nagging feeling the entire time I listened to this album that I wasn’t feeling the feelings that I was supposed to. I’m not really sure how to put it into words, but I found it difficult to fully connect with this album, like I was sitting a room away from someone else who was blasting this record and really feeling it. None of that is to say I didn’t enjoy it, I just feel like it didn’t hit me like I think it should have. 3.5*

“The Mess We’re In” was slipped into some shuffled mix I was listening to recently by Apple Music and I really liked it. I was shocked to see it was recorded in 1999. I wanted to listen to this album but hadn’t gotten around to it, so I was happy to see it for the AOTD. Surprise at the release date holds up for the album as a whole. It definitely feels related to several of the indie/alt rock girlies of today like Phoebe Bridges, Angel Olsen, maybe even some Mitski in there - but this album has a good 15-20 years on them. Its age does not show, except for a few tracks. Favorite tracks - “One Line”, “The Mess We’re In”, “You Said Something”, “We Float”. On the latter track, she closes out the album with some beautiful, airy, soaring vocals in a higher register than most of the singing/rhythmic talking that makes up most of the vocals on this album. I wish this softer vocal style got a little more use. “The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore” and “This is Love” are my least favorites. It’s a really nice album overall from someone whose songwriting talent and maturity is evident. Would listen again and would listen to more from PJ Harvey. 8/10

Much better than I remember. Beautiful voice, record has great pace and great songwriting as well. She is a bit less punk and a bit more indie pop than blondie. I like it more now than as a kid. Its a Kate Bush upgrade

hm

Not bad.

I didn’t like a single song on this album

Good stuff

Sounds like a band that would open for U2 or The Cranberries or Creed. One line was cool. Mostly forgettable for me.

Oh PJ you’re sOoOoO cool. That album cover is atrocious! I see that lady I’m walking the other direction. The Patti Smith thing is irritating when it comes from Patti, never mind PJ Harvey. I think I preferred Let England Shake.

I don’t get it. No more PJ Harvey please. I bailed on this after a few songs because A, they were bumming me out and B, we already had a very disposable album from this lady and I know enough to know now that’s she’s just not for me. Mopey and downbeat music has a time and place, but her songs just don’t feel sharp enough yo justify the indulgence. I’ve got problems of my own, PJ.

I cheated a bit during the last PJ Harvey album and listened to some of this This is much better than Let England Shake. I liked The Line, The Mess Were In, Horses In My Dreams and We Float. Admittedly, some of this was noise. I didnt like Big Exit or Good Fortune. 3.5 stars for now. Ill have to listen more. Rounding up to 4

Recently in a neighborhood shop, I recognized Thom Yorke’s voice on a song I had never heard, and I Shazam’d it - The Mess We’re In. Good song. I dabbled in the rest of the album at the time and found it a little less interesting, felt the same on this listen through. You Said Something is good too. In the end, I think St. Vincent plays a similar game with catchier songs and better guitar work.

- indie rockig aber atmosphärisch - Tolle stimme die sich unglaublich dynamisch und variabel zeigt, sehr lebendig gemixt - typisch 2000er gitarren sound/ britischen, manchmal bisschen quirky riffs aber die meisten sind mega geil - Die drums aus dem drumcomputer (place called home) geben mehr 90 vibes, Die analogen drums wirken lebendiger und passen besser gut ins konzept -häufig überwiegt dunkler vibe, erinnert ein bisschen an nirvana nevermind, verträumt aber nicht verschlafen - auf „the mess were in“ merkt man stark die radiohead einflüsse - fav tracks: Big Exit, a place called home, beautiful feeling, the mess were in least fav tracks:

not for me

not really my thing, liked place called home and whores hustle - Kamikaze was mad but I liked that too. Wouldn't go back for another listen but only cos it's not really my genre

She can write a killer hook, whether it’s using distorted guitar or just a wordless vocal melody. The lyrics really put you into the New York setting of this album and all its adventure and possibilities

Brooding

Мне не зашло(

Compelling, intriguing, very interesting chord progressions and rhythms, and I just dig the overall vibe. Dark without being too self-referential or too harsh. Really solid album.

Strong female act

Interesting alternative album a few songs a liked quite a bit a few others I did not.

I’ve listened to some PJ Harvey but don’t know this album. There’s a late ‘70s Patti Smith feel, some Christie Hynde mixed with ‘90s indie. I like it. Very listenable, all the songs good, without there being a standout. It’s largely guitar, bass & drums, well recorded with a couple of contributions from Thom Yorke including a duet on “This Mess We’re In”. I do really like the sound of the record and it could well be a grower.

I’ve always had trouble getting into PJ Harvey. Maybe her music is more directed at the female gaze, though I don’t have trouble with Laura Marling, Sia, and other modern female singer-songwriters. Maybe I’m just more of a Joni Mitchell guy rather than a Patti Smith guy. PJ is definitely channeling her inner Patti Smith spirit on this album. Also, while I dig Thom Yorke, he felt woefully out of place, even though I like some of his input. I don’t know. This is an album of conflict for me. 3.4/5

I read that PJ Harvey thinks it’s lazy to compare her to Patti Smith - but I can think of a lot worse singers to be compared to! The whole record doesn’t sound like Patti, but there are certain songs that do. PJ has such great command of her voice and a unique sound. I enjoyed this a lot.

This was another of those albums where the “Must Hear” part seems extremely exaggerated. This album was okay at best. There are more interesting albums that could be on this list over an entirely forgettable soft rock album. I’ll be lucky if I remember this album in a year.

Hard to believe this is 25 years old. It’s doesn’t sound it. This is good. I’m just not in the mood for it. In 2000 I’m sure I would have loved it.

I was surprised by how much of this album I’d actually already heard and had put into various playlists. With 4 already somewhat on my radar, especially the tracks with Thom Yorke I was excited to get stuck into this album. Big Exit is a great start to the album, I love this song, the exclaimed short vocal lines for the verses mesh well with the driving drums and guitars, and then the rest of the instrumental kicks in with the chorus and really elevates the song with the more melodic hook. The piano punctuation in the chorus is a really great embellishment that really elevates the chorus. The bridge is a beautiful melancholic change of pace that comes back to a final chorus wonderfully. Good Fortune is another solid alt rock song with satisfying overlayed vocal harmonies and a great progression throughout. More melodically focused than the previous track and maybe a bit more generic as far as 90s/00s alt rock is concerned but still a great track nonetheless. A Place Called Home, has this great staccato to piano line underneath that drive the rhythm and tempo of the track, rising along with the chord progression nicely. The alternating vocals are excellent , and the instrumentals are great aside from an accordion or harmonica solo/ line that sounds like a preset on a keyboard which sounds a bit dated and artificial now. But still another great song. One line is a notable change of pace and feels more moody and dramatic. It has pretty good group harmony vocals that underpin the track as it builds to the climax/anticlimax with a haunting xylophone or glockenspiel line to carry the last part of the song. Another solid track, loving the level of consistency in the track list so far, feels coherent and flows super well. Beautiful Feeling with Thom Yorke starts slowly with PJ’s beautiful vocals sitting atop a dark guitar and bass instrumental, remaining drum less for the track. Thom Yorke can be heard harmonising in the background acting as another instrument like a violin, punctuating most of the vocal lines with an eery atmospheric understated delivery. This one is a great atmosphere builder and I love the energy created on this one. The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore, turns up the volume and the energy instantly after the ominous echoey tracks. Another really great track that seems to meld the alt rock sounds of the first couple of tracks with the atmospheric breaks of the previous songs. It creates a really great full sounding almost climactic song that feels like you could hear it in a late 90s early 2000s action movie, which isn’t at all a criticism. The song sounds dated to that era but it ends up feeling nostalgic and beautiful instead of a relic of its time. This Mess We’re In sees Thom Yorke and PJ Harvey trading places from Beautiful Feeling with Thom Yorke taking centre stage and PJ accentuating the spaces between his vocal lines. Again I’m struck by the atmosphere created on these tracks and this is easily one of the highlights. Such a solid string listen so far. Again the pianos are excellent on this track and every instrument seems to be used as sparingly as possible whilst making the most of its impact. You Said Something is probably my least favourite track on the record, the lead melodic instrumental line, sounds very artificial and programmed and the quality of the digital sound used is quite weak. The song structure itself is pretty good but that instrumental line really takes you out of the song. Kamikaze is fastest and most eclectic song on the album and is another pretty fun alt rock track, the vocals are more emboldened but the chorus sounds a bit too strained at points, whether it’s intentional isn’t clear and the vocal recording quality is as good as the rest of the album. This Is Love is a pretty good in your face rock song. With a great instrumental, the vocals are back to being excellently mixed and produced, and the performances across the board are solid. Horses In My Dreams returns to the slower more atmospheric sounds found elsewhere on this album. Which I think is where the most interesting songs of the album sit. The obtuse and obscure lyrics on this one are great and create this mysterious alluring atmosphere. PJ Harvey seems to be doing her best Björk vocal impression on this one, which suits her and the track really well. I’m not drawing the similarity to highlight any shortcomings or lack of originality though. The piano is also a highlight on this track bringing an emotive powerful force to the song that underpins the vocals and instrumental perfectly. Also a stand out track for me. We Float starts with a pretty weak piano line and programmed drum beatthat builds for the first couple of minutes the vocals atop sound great though. Once the rest of the instrumental kicks in with the chorus this song becomes absolutely stunning. I just wish the production on the piano lead was a bit better for the verses, as it really sticks out in your head. It’s also weirdly panned to the left annoyingly. Although the majority of this song is immersive and magical a couple of parts let it down. This Wicked Tongue is a great gem of a bygone era, where you’d have a couple of minutes of silence tacked on to the end of the last track on the CD to make it seem like the album was over only to discover a hidden track! You felt like you’d found this secret that only the true fans knew. This is mostly lost now that streaming is the norm but what a feeling it was. Overall this track is pretty solid but seeming as it’s a hidden track I don’t think I’m going to put too much thought into it. Overall thoroughly enjoyed this album, very solid and beautiful alt rock album with atmospheric sections that stand out. Production sounds dated in places, sometimes that’s a strength although in a couple of tracks works against the album. Can’t wait to re listen to this really loved it. 4/5

It's powerful....

I was dubious when it started, but it really grew on me. The songs are interesting both musically and lyrically, and even though it’s a little harder than I prefer I really liked it. We both think it could be a 4 after a few more listens.

Meh, mid

For some reason, both PJ Harvey and Nick Cave have been blindspots in my post-punk/alt rock exploration over the last couple years. I've skipped several Nick Cave albums on this challenge that I'll have to get back to — I don't know why, but he just hasn't clicked for me the few times I've tried to listen to him. But I recently binged Peaky Blinders (yeah, I'm late to the party), and having had both of them shoved down my throat throughout the series, they've grown on me a bit. I feel like it's finally time. I'm not sure how this album compares to the rest of PJ's discography (it certainly doesn't sound anything like "Down By the Water" which is the one song I know of hers), but I'm guessing this is more stripped down than her typical stuff. I'm digging it, though. She has a cool voice with a good range, and she knows how to use it for emotional effect, going high and whispery for vulnerability and low and growly for aggressive and angry (sometimes high-pitched howling as well). She reminds me of a more mellow Siouxsie Sioux. I like the confessional lyrics for the same reason — vulnerable and honest but with a gritty edge. It reminds me of Lisa Marie Presley's first album, which came out a few years after this one. Musically it's very late 90s/early 00s alt-rock — lots of acoustic guitars, still sort of a post-grunge sound but with bits of U2, Oasis, and Radiohead influence peeking through (I started typing this review while still listening to the album and had to laugh when the song with Thom Yorke came on — nailed it). If I have one complaint about the album, it's that there's not that much variation in terms of tempo. There are a few faster, harder songs ("This Is Love"), but for the most part it's mid-tempo and slower songs. There aren't really any bad songs, but it does get a bit monotonous. I'm still not sure where I'll land with Nick Cave, but I'm pretty sold on PJ Harvey. Definitely going to check out more of her catalogue after this. 4/5

1* snore

better than i expected.

2.92

Fine, but not for me.

Love

After years of hearing about PJ Harvey, this is my first actual dive in. It feels like the diet of music I would have loved in high school. As it is, there's some really enjoyable stuff to this album, but nothing that really sparks excitement or engagement. It's the type of music I might play in the background while working on something in the house.

Ezzz jóó, nem mondom, hogy a kedvencem lesz, de nagyon menő, meg adja a vibeot. Ezi is olyan Debrecenben hallgatós.

Consistent but a bit boring

Wanted to like it and only found myself really enjoying the last track — we float. Great vocals though. I think I couldn’t get past her lyrics

This is still epic.

Not a bit of filler. Just perfect

Have listened to quite a bit of PJ Harvey but for whatever reason not this album. Suffice to say it’s another good one!

some of the songs i liked and thom yorke being on there was a bit unexpected but overall it was ok some songs i wasn’t the biggest fan of

I love Radiohead and with few Thom Yorke appearances i can only salute that. Yet the Best PJ Harvey Project ive listened to. Had some little rock moments with quite much punk in it (If I'm not tripping) 4.0/5.0

It was an ok album. I like some of her songs but the album dragged somehow as a composition.

PJ is always a great listen and this album is so good.

I had trouble listening all the way through. Some bright spots but nothing that really distinguished the music for me.

как всегда нет на ПиДжей Харви, но 1) не так тяжело как предыдущие, 2) услышала много Хейли Мэри основополагающего

This felt tedious. Not for me. 2.5 stars.

Influenced by the other reviews, I have tried very hard to like this. Nope. Grinding, nothing catchy....

Everything about this album is awesome.

This is one of her best albums. Every song is beautiful, strong and deep. I could listen to it forever.

I mean it's alright, Patti Smith soundalike, but that album cover is fucking clickbait man it does NOT reflect at all what the album sounds like. If anything the album cover sounds better, does that make sense?

thom yorke was involved in this cool I dont have much to say about this i like it though On horses in my dreams it sounds like she keeps saying that she pooped herself thats funny

One of my favorite albums ever!

She has a nice voice. Good variety and energy on these tracks. Not my cup of tea but I'll likely revisit this album and maybe some of her other work.

Decent album, nothing special.

horses LOVE

I thought I knew this album pretty well, but a closer listen revealed how great it is from start to finish. The final song is beautiful.

Good Fortune, A Place Called Home, One Line are great songs. The Whores Hustle and The Hustlers Whore may be the best song on the album. This Mess We're In is also great. You Said Something too. This Is Love too. I was already somewhat a PJ Harvey fan but this album sealed it.

It took me two listens to really appreciate this album. I was prepared to only give it two and a half or three stars but now I am giving it four stars. I didn't like her voice at first but the second time I listened I had an awakening. I hear shades of Patti Smith and the Pretenders. I even hear echoes of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. The songwriting is very strong and the execution of each song is perfect.

New York girlie but I preferred the sea stories

Her best work by far Great listen Easy 4 baby

Bueno

Surprised I liked it!

I wasn't feeling this. It felt incredibly repetitive at times, and I couldn't appreciate the vocal work for the most part. Not a terrible experience, but not one I'd reach for again. 'We Float' was good though.

Mixed feelings about this, stated thinking it would be another ‘girl and guitar’ albums that bore me but midway through started liking it, peaking at ‘This Mess we’re in’. After a few songs though it swelled to its flatness. 2.5 if I could, rounding up to 3.

Still didn’t really enjoy

Weak Pretenders facsimile.

Queen Polly Jean. There's nothing not to like about this -- raw feel, great playing, just tremendous sensuality in performance and songwriting. Pain, sex, longing, hope, dread, all balled up in this Irish punk pixie. 20+ years this has been out. Gads.

Buen disco. La nueva Patti Smith de los 2000.

Seemed like a pretty short album. I enjoyed it

I didn’t expect to, but I really loved this. At its core, it’s impossibly simple good old fashioned rock and roll, but it’s got some nice ornaments too.

Have always loved this album esp "you Said Something" .. although weirdly has not acted as gateway to other PJ Harvey records yet.

I thought I would like this more than I did. Feels a bit self-involved.

Pretty much exactly mid. Don't particularly see the reason this album is on the list.

Have never heard music by this artist before. Neither here nor there for me. Can understand the impact the album would have had at the time of release, especially from a female soloist, however not rushing back to listen to any of this again. I do like the collabs with Thom Yorke but I think that’s due to me liking him so much.

I tried to get into this when it came out and it never really clicked for me. Listening to it again, I feel the same way. I have no problem with PJ Harvey but she just doesn’t click with me for whatever reason.

Good

It's all right. But not incredibly memorable. I did quite enjoy the collaboration tracks featuring Thom Yorke.

Albumi #127, 07.12.2024 PJ Harveyn parhaita albumeita.

The tracks I like, I REALLY like, but the tracks I dislike are unbearable. Thom Yorke was fun to hear though. Music was definitely not what I was expecting based off the album cover.

I love the rawness of her other albums like Dry, but turns out I also love her being a little more polished like this. And Thom Yorke is always welcome. Great album!

Changed my mind on this from 4 years ago. The album does trail off in the last quarter or so but the first half is so strong. I'm coming back to this.

Indie Queen

Solid album. Great vocals. Really strong indie rock album. I'm glad I listened to this.

A new a couple of the songs and like them. The album follows the sound and feel of the singles.

83% Best: Good Fortune; A Place Called Home; The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore; This Mess We're In; This Is Love; We Float Must-Hear? Sure

such a specific vibe and such a great sound but sometimes pj seems to rush her lyrics out

Good shit, I fuck with it.

Have heard of PJ Harvey before and I loved this album. Really alt rock music.

Cool album! Albeit none of the songs reach out to me to make me love them, The Big Exit, The Whores Hustle and This Mess We’re in stand a shoulder over the rest, while Beautiful Feeling and Horses make me disinterested. Rounded up to a 4

The most annoying women I know living in Brooklyn like PJ Harvey – women who say they’re, quote, “so goddamn old,” even though they’re 33; women who talk about their relationship with their mother after ordering (read: not yet drinking) a martini at the Company Happy Hour; women who date men 20 years their senior but don’t want to date men with children, so they either date alt-right men who live in Bushwick, or men who work at Morgan Stanley with a rent controlled apartment in the East Village. I think the younger/more chronically online call these women “femcels,” but I just find them boring. None of this has shit to do with PJ Harvey, who I never listened to because I always found the women who told me to listen to her annoying, and because I want my music to have a bit more ✨cunt✨ (girlypop) and less 👹cunt👹 (misandrist). But I can’t say I’m particularly surprised by anything I hear on Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. I would describe this album as “raw.” To a lot of people, that would be a compliment. It’s very lyric-forward, with respect and adoration for an overdriven Fender Jaguar and one-take vocals. When a full band is deployed, the rhythm section is placed in the back, almost as an afterthought. It is dense, and Harvey is painfully honest yet poetically obtuse. I get the appeal, but it’s not my vibe. Maybe I came across it too late in my life, maybe I’m too much of a bimbo, but much like her predecessor Patti Smith, everything here feels too purposefully composed to be honest, and that strips it of any potential power it could’ve had. That’s not to say that I’m unable to like this vibe, because I do like Liz Phair, and I do enjoy just about half of the songs on this record, despite its cynicism and low-energy. But even the best songs here never win me over, and the worst songs are very much not my vibe. The thing that ruins it for me, though, is how Stories of the City… frames New York City. It’s the way a transplant sees the city, where the grit and the toxicity and the chaos come before the community and resilience and directness. Even beneath the obtuseness-as-poetry, even when Harvey is writing a love song or a positive song, it starts from a negative space. Whether she’s singing about the city or the people in it, she’s starting from an elevated train platform looking down at her potential death, concerned about all the straw men strangers who may push her off the platform. Or, in another sense, she’s in the gutters looking down at the trash the street sweepers haven’t picked up yet, refusing to look up at the stars. Even at her most optimistic, Harvey sees the world in a way I never could, and never want to, so I simply cannot relate, or even comprehend. It’s sad that PJ Harvey is the exact artist I expected her to be, at least on this record. There’s obvious talent here – as an artist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist – but those talents translate to something so unfit for my tastes, and also something that I find artistically limp. I can imagine more energy and more directness, both from the music and the lyrics, could make me enjoy her more, but Stories from the City… is not that record.

PJ Harvey is honestly one of the most underrated artists ever and I'm so glad this list brought me to her music.

PJ Harvey has a dark side that literally scares me. Because I’m afraid of the unknown. This album brings together all of her very best aspects - the over- the- bar line cleverness, the plaintive and urgent vocals, direct, distinctive; songwriting that somehow manages to be simple but dives deeply. She always bares her soul with a confidence you don’t get from anyone else. The duet with Thom Yorke emphasizes this: feels like Thom is always falling apart falling off a cliff. Until PJ comes along to pull him out of his quicksand. The woman is strong. I love this contrast. They pull it off. Great art. Some touching pieces. But not off putting or difficult (Kendrick I’m talking to you). I haven’t heard something in a long time that I had the sincere urge to hear again like “Good Fortune” or “Kamikaze.” Genius.

Previously rated: Dry (3/5) ************************** I liked Dry a lot better. This was more mellow, flirting with being boring. A low 3/5.

Personally, I just don’t like music like this

This rocks

“Stop begging. We have Patti Smith at home”

Fantastic. Why didn’t anyone tell me about her or Liz Phair before?

2000s rock meh

Not bad but sader and more whiney than I prefer

Probably my fave Pj tbh. Just exquisite

This was my first favorite PJ Harvey album, and given how well-rounded it's capable of being in its less than 50-minute runtime, I've never really had to question why. Despite being easily her most accessible, this album also showcases everything that made her '90s run so legendary. This lady, in less than a decade, went from punk-rock to blues-rock to trip-hop—and on this record, there are hints of each and every one of those various dabblings. 'Big Exit' sounds like something off of 'Dry' but more melodically catered to the mainstream, and 'We Float' sounds straight out of 'Is This Desire' in all its trip-hop glory. The direct alternative single here 'This is Love', sounds like something off of 'Rid of Me' - especially given its more aggressive lyrical themes and performance. I don't want to reduce this album by calling it a "poppier" version of all her previous sounds. This is a very solid indie-rock album in its own right, in fact, it's one of the best of its time I'd say. 'Good Fortune' is one of my favorite songs of hers. It's so optimistic and nostalgic, and that chorus is such an earworm. "Nostalgic", in general, is a really solid way of describing just about everything here, 'A Place Called Home' effectively evokes that feeling of something missing, but you're not quite sure what. There are times on this album when it feels like it follows PJ's fixation on this one very pleasant moment in time, and her attempts to grow past it, all while still reminiscing on how complete it made her feel. I like to imagine that "moment" as a night in the city, spent with someone you love. 'Good Fortune' is maybe the most direct portrayal of this - capturing just how happy she was at that time when everything was perfect, though it almost feels too perfect as if she's glorifying the past. 'Beautiful Feeling' is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, PJ sounds so defeated now that the special moment, and the person she associates it with, are gone. 'The Mess We're In', the second song here with Thom Yorke, captures that longing between two lovers who are now apart and grasping, again, to try to recreate something as meaningful as that one "moment". It's an incredible duet too, the part where Thom is melodically wailing and PJ comes in with her smooth "The city sun sets over me" is one of the most euphoric moments on this album. 'You Said Something' had to grow on me, but I do like it quite a bit, it plays a crucial role in establishing this album's themes, capturing that "perfect moment" down to an exact location, time, feel, smell, and set of words. I also really love the last two songs here, they're so mellow, and 'Horses in My Dreams' could haunt just about anyone with just how accurately it captures this idea of being forever free from something (or someone) that's been burdening you for far too long. And 'We Float' is just an incredible closer, it uses the same "Float On" metaphor as Modest Mouse (in 2004) to describe this idea of taking life one step at a time. This song makes me very happy. PJ Harvey's talents don't need to be stated, her vocal range is insane, and this album is easily the best portrayal of that. My favorite vocal performance has got to be on 'The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore' which may even be the best track here, despite it not (really) playing into this album's overall theme. It's more of a commentary on the tortured lives of other human beings who've been cast down by a ruthless city. The chorus is incredible and her crying vocals closing it out are so mesmerizing - they give me goosebumps every time I get hit with them. Production-wise, I do wish it was more consistent at times, but then again that's only a gripe when I'm comparing this album to her other ones that do a better job of sticking to a singular sonic motif. For what it is though, the production here is luscious, endearing, and very soft (not quite soft rock soft though - thank god). A very unique and important album from one of music's most forward-thinking and layered singer-songwriters - and I'll always love it wholeheartedly for introducing me to her music.

I was obsessed with this album in college, but my tastes have changed enough that I can’t give it a 5. Still a great album though! 💕

could i write poetry to this? y

The frequent references to horses and New York City make comparisons to Patti Smith inevitable. This is far more accessible than her early works and enabled PJ Harvey join Tori Amos and Natalie Merchant as the celebrated female Alt-Rock stars of the era. Although Thom York's appearance on this album fit seamlessly with the more subdued vibe on many tracks, I prefer the more stripped-down Noise Rock jamming on tracks like "This is Love."

Almost every song has the same guitar tone and lack of vocal melody. Good Fortune and This Mess We're In stand out from the crowd.

an album that asks: what if you were in love and you were in new york at the time? 3.5/5

i loved every song on this, didn’t expect it, i never listened to PJ Harvey but she is great

For some reason I thought this would be like KT Tunstall and wasn't expecting much. Very pleasantly surprised. Probably not the kind of music I'll come back to often but it's honest enough

This album is like a cup of coffee to me. I am not a coffee drinker at all, but I absolutely love the smell of it. Every now and then, I'll get a cup of coffee because "who knows, maybe I'll like it this time", and on paper, I should. I get the fresh cup, love how amazing it smells, and when I drink it, it's such a letdown and I don't enjoy it at all, despite that I really think I will this time. This album to me feels like that. I love the guitar and general playing, awesome vocals, almost grimey aesthetic, all of it on paper should be a home-run for me. But I went through the whole album and I just didn't enjoy it. Which is such a shame because I could feel myself trying to enjoy it, but it just wasn't clicking.

A strong, powerful voice to listen to. The whole backdrop of New York gave the album a nice thematic consistency. Some of the songs didn't really grip me, though. Best songs: One Line, A Place Called Home Worst Songs: Horses in my Dreams, You Said Something

Hadn't listened to PJ Harvey before, glad it came along here. Poppy but also grungy, accessible but also raw. It strikes a nice sonic balance. Looking forward to more from this artist.

It's okay.

Straight up boring. Maybe if I was depressed and high this would sound okay.

Wowzers.

My favorite PJ Harvey album. A great collection of songs that show off her range, but have a cohesive theme. The Thom Yorke cameos are the icing on the cake.

My wee face lit up when I saw this one. An old favourite. Love her. There is an edge to her voice here which really works. And of course Thom Yorke. Never grow tired of this album

Jumped out of my chair when I heard Thom Yorke

Way better than the other PJ Harvey one I had. Production has gone a long way to fleshing out the artist's sound.

Kinda boring. Diet version of herself, Fiona Apple and Patti Smith.

PJ Harvey paints a landscape of New York City and love via her songwriting here. This is different than the PJ Harvey content that *I've* heard, which is to say that this album is probably more accessible than her previous works. It somehow feels more personal, despite not being as abrasive or in your face as, say, "Rid of Me". Although on that note, nothing really stood out after the 47 or so minutes went by. Harvey's voice gets to shine a bit more here though, I guess.

This is one of the greatest records ever made. A beautiful encapsulation of how it felt to live in NYC at the turn of the millennium right before 9/11 changed the city and the world forever. I still remember my friend Zoe telling me how good this record is right when it came out and man, how right she was! I think it makes me cry more than any other album whenever I listen to it.

Not a big PJ Harvey fan, but this seemed like a decent enough album.

A distinctly American album from a noted British artist. Very nice.

Big Exit Good Fortune This Mess We're In This Is Love