Reviews (page 9 of 14)
This album builds and becomes better as it goes.
3/5 Some interesting stuff in here.
Enjoyed this
Not a huge fan
Another excellent PJ Harvey album - I’d put it about at the same level as “Let England Shake,” my other favorite of hers. Seriously considering a 5 here. Favorites: Big Exit, Beautiful Feeling, The Mess We’re In, Horses In My Dreams 4.5-5
meh
Don't love it. It's a little achy breaky for me.
Never heard of PJ Harvey before, it's pretty punky, she has the same kind of delivery as a lot of those 70s and 80s punk bands, which I'm not a super huge fan of. Yeah as this album goes on her vocal delivery gets a little grating to my ears. Overall definitely not a fan of this one.
This was an incredible album that I am embarrassed to say I've never listened to.
The shores hustle and the hustlers whore ist vielleicht ganz okay
It's alright, but nothing really stands out to me. The second half of the album has some more interesting stuff (Thom Yorke collabs, some odd time signatures). But ultimately it was pretty forgettable.
Under the radar. PJ Harvey is badass.
Found this a little disappointing compared to the other album's I've heard from PJ. It's quite lowkey, and I don't really feel like there are any standout songs from this. A banger or two would have bumped this up a star from me. Maybe it's more of a slow burn, who knows. But I have had this on repeat and it's just washed right by me. Best Track: Horses in my Dream Worst Track: Beautiful Feeling
Best Song: Good Fortune Worst Song: We Float
This one was better than her last one but still not good
4 out of 5. This album was a pleasant surprise, good energy in the first half but dragged a little in the second.
What a fantastic album. Well, anything PJ Harvey is fantastic in my book. This album is one of her most accessible ones (that being said, I like the rawness of her first few albums a LOT). Every song is good, many are absolute marvels, and there is a nice coherence across the album. Fantastic musicians too and I especially like Thom Yorke's contributions. This Mess We're In, what a stonker of a song! Definitely a 5* for me.
Loved this, as I do just about all of her work. Perfect balance of her raw rock side and more low key moments.
Thoughts before listening: PJ Harvey is on this list a lot, and she has certainly been pretty universally praised from music journalists over the past 20+ years. I usually find one or two songs per album that I enjoy and the rest is just okay to me. I look forward to seeing if this album will be any different. Review: As usual there were a number of songs I liked and added to my playlist: "Good Fortune", "This Mess We're In", "Kamikaze", and "This is Love". As a whole the album was a nice listen while I walked to get groceries but probably not something I will go back to. I did actually recognize a number of these songs so I believe I had listened to this album before, probably on a playlist made from a best albums of the 00s list. 3-stars
First song was pretty yelling...rest pretty dang good!
Gran sorpresa. Sí que estoy de luto por haberme perdido este disco cuando probablemente más lo necesitaba. Como dicen, el siguiente mejor tiempo para hacer algo es ahora.
It was better than i thought, enough to keep listening till the end
The last time I got PJ Harvey, it was her album Let England Shake, and I thought it was not enjoyable at all. I ended up bailing in the middle of the album, and giving it a 2 out of 5 on the challenge site. This album is much better and it reminded me that PJ Harvey has always been hit or miss for me. I’m glad this pick was on the list, because it was a bit of a redemption. There was only one song I wasn’t too keen on, but the rest of the album was really damn good. Probably some of her best work on this one.
Composite of cool Alternative poetry Pulsating power
This was pretty good. No bad songs here.
Terrible
Song with the guy from Radiohead was definitely a stand out along with the later half of the album in my opinion. Kind of felt Courtney love/Janis Joplin-ish
Rock, 2000 -> 3
I didn't like this as much as I thought it would, especially considering I've heard it before. I listened to it a few times, and I like a good chunk of the songs, especially the closer, but stuff like the vocal effects on the opener and really Thom Yorke's voice not really fitting well on the song he appears in hold this one back for me.
Very fun listen, clean polished and beautiful lyrics , right at great short of amazing a very solid 3
Boring
Powerful female alternative rock, UK artist, great voice. Nirvana influence. Outstanding alt rock, good amount of grit.
Didn’t listen
4.5
I enjoyed this. Angsty, grungy rock with hooks and attitude. Surprised I never got into PJ Harvey when this came out.
My initial thought when this popped up: Ugh. Not looking forward to this one. Let’s get into it. It starts off horrendous. Big Exit is a trash song that seems to go on forever, but it picks up a bit — a *slight bit* over the next song, and then One Line is actually good. A bit of a meh Beautiful Feeling, but then The Whores Hustle is pretty catchy. The Mess We’re In is FANTASTIC, though that’s mainly because it’s a Thom Yorke song. Back to meh for You Said Something, but then Kamikaze is a rocking good time. This is Love is OK, I guess (slightly above meh), and Horses in my Dreams is dreadful. Overall, better than I was expecting, but my initial reaction is still a bit justified. I kinda liked half the songs, so it can’t be less than a 3 star rating. I’m trying to decide whether I would rather listen to this again, or yesterday’s Iggy Pop, and I can’t really decide. Some good songs, some filler. Honestly, despite being 20 some-odd years apart, they’re not that different.
i don't think i really cared for the last PJ Harvey album we had on here, but i quite liked this one. mellow, occasionally a little meandering in that new age early 2000s singer-songwriter way, but a nice solid record. really great thom yorke feature on here too, he fits right into this sound!
this was interesting and i liked it way more than the newer PJ Harvey album on this list. kinda like if michelle branch, sleater-kinney, and nirvana all got together to make an album. powerful, dark, weird, and interesting. not all the songs hit but overall this was a neat album to check out. also thom yorke is here on multiple tracks for some reason???? favorites: good fortune, this mess we're in, you said something, we float
Album étonnant car j'ai toujours cru que PJ Harvey et Alanis Morissette étaient une seule et même personne. Après vérification, la seconde sonne quand même bien mieux que la première.
Deep, dark 90's music.
There is a Fiona Apple/Alanis Morissette vibe to this album. Way less punk than Rid of Me. A Place Called Home is a really good song. There's and undefinable quality that's really great about this album. Radiohead...that's the quality I couldn't find maybe, Thom Yorke on the album makes it seem like that's the answer at least. Kamikaze has some of that old punk PJ Harvey feeling, great song, like a tribute to the Ramones. Horses In My Dreams is a great song but very much like Fiona Apple.
Enjoyed this more than the other PJ Harvey, good listen
4.4 - Woah this was great! So much emotion and I've always loved we float
Never been a huge PJ fan. I like a few of the tracks here but others are just too dreary for me. Fave Tracks: Good Fortune, We Float 3.3/5
A good one. I didn't use to enjoy the clean production. Now, I think it gives the music a heft and weight. No filler on this, just loads of good songs. Her best album? I think so.
A gorgeous and enthralling album. I enjoyed it WAY more than Rid of Me, which wasn't entirely surprising, as I already had Good Fortune on my master playlist. I'm not sure why I hadn't explored the rest of the album. I loved the sound and the mood. She sounds completely in control and completely authentic. I'll definitely be listening again; it's right up my street. (Shout-out to the drummer, too; they're great.)
OK
Somehow I missed this one from back in the day. I really enjoyed it
PJ in fine form - kicking ass and taking names.
Pretty good
Another 3 star, neither here or there really. This is Love is a standout.
Fantastic album. From the first riff of Big Exit, to 'I can't believe life's so complex', this album is full of little surprises, nice details and hits. And this is not even the best PJ album.
Fantastische stem, heerlijk rauw en puur. Geweldig album. Dit is een 5, zonder twijfel
PJ Harvey’s Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea presents a challenging listening experience. Her shouty vocals often overwhelm the music, creating a cacophonous atmosphere that makes it hard to appreciate both the lyrics and the instrumentation. Unfortunately, the music itself doesn’t offer much to elevate the album, feeling unremarkable and forgettable. I find her voice works better on the more subdued tracks, where it can shine without the need for constant intensity. In its current form, the album drifts by, requiring a significant effort to stay engaged. The frequent yelping can be grating, detracting from what could have been a more cohesive experience. “A Place Called Home” stands out as a decent track, but overall, this album earns a disappointing 2/5—mostly boosted by Thom Yorke’s contributions.
Pretty good.
14/10/24 An okay album.
decent but a bit long
this one is sooo good. first heard of her in gilmore girls, and thought that I def need to listen to her in the future. now the time has come, only like 10years after I heard of her when tristan thought pj harvey was a man.
I can be a bit of a PJ hater but this surprised me. Thom Yorke coming through turned things up
I wasn’t sure how I felt at first but this really grew on me. I liked the song with Thom Yorke a lot. The album kind of reminded me of a more chill Liz Phair
Reminded me of romantic comedies and movies from the early 2000s where these songs were probably featured
fine, but boring
Solid
I was sure I had this album pegged after the first song. It was that same sort of mid 2010's garage girl kind of album. However the more I listened it was actually pretty decent. Lots of different styles, and I was impressed by the craftsmanship of the music. I didn't feel like it was too heavy handed with instruments, and things seemed to be well written. I'm surprised, but I'm going with a 4 on this one.
Thom Yorke feature? You got me PJ, dammit, you got me.
I want to like it but I just don’t think I’m a 90s grunge gal
Incredibly good. Great songwriting. Excellent studio production. Solid album. No weakness to my ears.
Pretty good. I didn’t connect with it but I can see why some people enjoy it
Really enjoyed it Standouts songs: A Place Called Home The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore This Mess Were in Kamikaze
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea I listened to this a lot when it came out, mainly on the strength of This Mess We’re In, which I loved. It really reminds me of coming home from Japan for Christmas in 2000. I haven’t listened to it in a long time, so I’m glad it came up. Big Exit, is a cracking start, great lyrics, kind of punkish and new wave but accessible. Good Fortune is similar, a bit less aggressive perhaps, but a great song with a great hook and an evocative lyric. A Place Called Home is excellent too, from relatively simple instrumentation and arrangements she manages to make very engaging and interesting songs. One Line has a kinship with those first 3 songs, but again is great, with a vaguely unsettling atmosphere. Beautiful Feeling is fantastic, has a very folky feel, like the Unthanks, with those great backing vocals from Thome Yorke. Superb song. The Whores Hustle and the Hustler’s Whore is the kind of spiritual centre of the album, a great melody with an undeniable edge and a searching, impressionistic lyric sketching loneliness and isolation in a big city. This Mess We’re In, still great, a lovely melody with a sad and resigned feeling and two great vocals from them both. You Said Something is another great melody and hook - again the strummed guitar and minimal instrumentation conjures up an atmospheric and intriguing song. Kamikaze has that aggressive punky edge to it, and nice unhinged-ness suiting the title and coming after two pretty pop melodies This is Love I really remember from when it came out, love the swooping riff and that great tinkly piano. Another great melody and lyric too. Horses in my Dream, feel like the title is nod to Patti Smith, who she obviously shares a commonality with, but it’s a great and haunting low tempo ballad, with an edgy folkiness to it. Her voice sounds great on this one too. We Float is great too, a sense of ending and coming to terms with the end of a relationship, with that hazy drifting chorus with that superb melody. Hidden tracks were such a CD thing, and This Wicked Tongue is a good aggressive and angry song, but feels kind of unnecessary now. Doesn’t detract from the quality of the album at all though. This has reminded me what a great album this is, kind of amazing how engaging and interesting each song is, despite it in the main being relatively simple drums, strummed guitars and bass with minor additional instrumentation (although from my limited understanding there are some interesting chords happening). Like Let England Shake, I can see how she might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and how if you don’t buy into her style you probably wonder what all the fuss is about, but I think she’s fantastic and like Let England Shake this is an easy 5. 📖🌃📖🌊📖 Playlist submission: Still love This Mess We’re In, but I’ll go Beautiful Feeling
Quintessential ‘just a young girl tryna find her way in this crazy town’ playlist vibes. The thom yorke appearances were a pleasant surprise.
Never really got into PJ Harvey back in the day but on listening to this I’m not quite sure why. Much better than I was expecting and will now have to go and check out her back catalogue and see if I really was wrong to overlook her all those years ago.
an album that's said to embody the energy of new york city, the good, bad, and the ugly. pj makes this abundantly clear in her music, which can be either upbeat or slow; her voice is very pretty as well. it has a nice sound, i like the variety in tracks. it's just accessible and it has a nice selection of tracks for all sorts of moods and vibes. wish i had more to say!
This was wonderful. I had heard of PJ Harvey before, but I had never heard her songs. I hear a lot of Fiona Apple, Chrissie Hynde, and Mazzy Star (Hope Sandoval) in her voice, and her style is very Fiona Apple-esque too. This was so good I listened to it twice. Five stars.
Loved the surprise of Thom Yorke here, and suddenly realized how much some of these songs sounded like Radiohead. Definitely going to listen to it again. Update: listened again and really liked it despite it getting a little too "imperfect" at times. I can see why this is a classic. Some legitimately beautiful moments on here.
naja, das erste gerhörte Album konnte mich nicht überzeugen und das zweite hier auch nicht wirklich
VERY GOOD
Vähän taiteellista indie / alt rockia. Thom Yorke yllätysfeatissa kahdessa kappaleessa. Osa kappaleista vaikempia kuunneltavaa ja osa helpompaa. Parhaat: You Said Something, The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore, Horses In My Dreams
pretty good, didn't really stick with me though honestly or jump out at me like crazy
You Said Something on its own could give this album 5 stars,but the reality is that more than half the songs on this album standout. This album is a great mix between styles from To Bring You My Love and Rid of Me/Dry. I need to own the physical nedia of this album. This album is special
It is well-made and smart punky poppy rock like all PJ Harvey's work. It just doesn't do much to move me in any way.
Solid 3. Good Album.
hey the last PJ Harvey album I had my biggest criticism was she was too quiet and it was a little too melancholy. she definitely fixed those issues for me with this album. Clear concise lyrics with a bit more professional sound. One Line captures it pretty well. Still not really my jam but enjoyable!
It’s fine and it was nice to hear Thom Yorke but this album just wasn’t for me
Another PJ Harvey album. Pretty good, not my favorite of hers. The anger has definitely been toned down which I think is a loss, but her vocals are emphasized a lot more which is nice. She’s a good singer
Liking PJ Harvey makes you cool. Shame the music isn't that good. Skip to We Float then turn it off.
Banger after banger - "this is love" entered into the pantheon of great tracks to listen to on a train. Bit of a flat section as she exhibits her inner Leonard Cohen with "horses in my dream" which I found to be quite lacking in charge. Thom Yorke compliments her voice very well on other tracks however, to create a more morbid and morose vibe when required. Never listened to PJ Harvey before, can safely say I will now.
2000. Great listen. First thought was it had a lot of drive to it, and the lyrics sounded like proclamations. Not necessarily bad, but I didn’t strike me as unique. But, then a few tracks hit me hard. A place called home, horses, we float. I wonder if those last few songs, which are more melodic and uplifting are the stories from the sea. Really nice bass lines underneath droning guitars. Her voice is edgy and resolute. But still has that round divine sound of like angel olsen. I like the melodic bits more than the darker more rote sounding tracks. Thom Yorke’s features just didn’t work for me. Lot of soul in this album. Fav track: Horses in My Dreams
A great PJ Harvey.
ok but nothing special. preferred the second half of the album to the first.Nothing to get me excited about in this album but pleasant enough to listen again.
It’s ok. Its biggest sin is it’s kind of boring. Tracks all feel similar with an American rumbling marching rock feel. Like easy listening hard rock?
Didn’t really grab me I’m afraid
It was good for what it is, not exactly what I expected. I think I'd have to listen to it again to find the finer points of the album. There are some highlights that I picked up right away such as sounds and interesting harmonic choices that led to the aesthetic that they were going for. The songs left a bit to be desired though.
Album was okay. Nothing too interesting. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Really enjoyed this album.
Impression of her today is so different from the time I first heard her.
Sth about her voice
Never heard this before. The guitars sound fantastic! This record demands volume. To play this at a normal volume feels like driving a race car under the speed limit. I bet she's a powerful live performer. I feel like there's this tradition of New York albums, and this is definitely one of them. Harvey is a decent singer but the songs themselves are not particularly catchy and I don't know if the awesome guitar sounds are enough to get me to invest the time to learn to love them despite the lack of hooks. Ask me in a year.
Well, now I'm halfway through the PJ Harvey albums in this collection (previous was her debut "Dry"), so that feels a bit like an accomplishment. And this one seems a bit more lively and interesting than "Dry", thankfully. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I don't find myself getting sucked into her music as much as I'd like (it may just be that there's not a lot of variety within an album, likely due to not really working with a full band), but I did enjoy "Big Exit" and "You said something" more than the others. (Her video for "A place called home" made me think of a VR game, "The Under Presents", although without the puzzle-solving aspect of needing multiple incarnations to proceed.) And while I didn't particularly enjoy the collaborations with Thom Yorke, I liked it that they worked together for a few of her songs, with "This mess we're in" providing a bit of that elusive variety.
I enjoyed this a lot more than Dry, which heard earlier for this project. Still, not sure how much I'd listen to again, though This is Love, We float, and Kamikaze were all pretty nice.
I thought this was okay but many of the tracks seemed quite flat. Didn’t want to turn it off but wouldn’t seek out again. 3/5
This is and forever will be iconic. Already know and love the album! Fantastic mid dusky afternoon/autumn album
Not a terrible album. Has a great start but somewhat underperforms after that.
PJ Harvey's "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea" is a refreshing dive into a world where city lights and ocean waves collide. Released in 2000, this album sees Harvey stepping away from her earlier raw sound to embrace something smoother yet still packed with emotion. From the get-go, "Big Exit" grabs your attention with its energetic guitars and Harvey’s powerful voice. Tracks like "Good Fortune" are catchy and full of life, capturing the thrill of love and chance with lyrics that stick with you. The album takes you on a journey, moving from the reflective vibe of "You Said Something" to the haunting simplicity of "Horses in My Dreams." A standout moment is her duet with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke on "This Mess We're In," where their voices blend beautifully to create a sense of longing. Harvey's storytelling is top-notch, making each song feel personal yet relatable. "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea" is a brilliant showcase of PJ Harvey's knack for capturing the highs and lows of life in a way that feels both timeless and real. 10/10
First listen. Pretty good.
I liked this more than I expected, I’m not going to follow her tour and become a Harvey Head or anything, but it’s catchy.
Not bad - wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Pretty mellow overall.
7,5
Thought this would be better than this. It was ok.
There is practically nothing remarkable about the instrumentation, the lyrics are so-so, and her voice is downright annoying. I’m not surprised that I’ve never heard of PJ Harvey; there’s not much of not to have heard.
Most memorable song for me was the Thom Yorke feature mainly for his voice
I didn't know what to expect but I quite liked this. I heard it's different from her previous stuff but to me it sounded good, sure it was melodic but I heard the rock edge and I loved it
Pretty cool alt rock. But I probably won't come back to it. Still a decent listen.
I listened to this like 4 times and I dunno. I want to like it? It's probably great? It didn't really stick with me though.
High fours, what an album and what an artist.
Melancólico, único
got some strong lovin there
Love this album :)
A couple of good songs early on. I like her more upbeat, catchier songs. I don't care for the slower, quieter ones.
Some warble some music
It’s good, but I don’t enjoy it. I appreciate the quality and creativity of this album, but yeah it just doesn’t excite me like her earlier releases, it’s kind of missing the punk edge.
I don't really have anything to say about this one. It was fine.
Wow. I have always liked PJ Harey but never really paid full attention past radio play. I kinda took her as a militant feminist type for some reason or other. But listening now I don't see or hear that much at all. Now to be sure, I am an academic feminist, but as a transgender person I find things get bristly when the feminist becomes something more radical and hardcore and that is definitely not feminism. Perhaps people also change over time and temper their ways a bit. I have no idea of PJ Harvey's arc. At any rate, I found this extremely listenable and rather a joy to rediscover.
I started this album a few times but switched it off, it wasn't terrible but it did feel kind of bland. Liked a couple songs but overall I would not listen to this again. Favorite songs were: 7. This Mess We're In 10. This Is Love 4/10
V v good. Need to be in a certain mood to listen to it, could probably put it in a playlist with Belle and Sebastian ykwim, The whores hustle and the hustlers whore Horses in my dreams
Very enjoyable! 3.7 stars
Right on
PJ = Rocks!
Love this album, probably my favourite by PJ Harvey. An easy 5 for me.
kind of sucks 2/5
I have learned to love PJ, thanks to this site.
I’d heard one song prior to this but enjoyed the album as a whole and will try to revisit more.
-I love this! can’t believe I’ve never heard this especially considering it has Thom Yorke in it… i will try my best not to talk about him. PJ Harvey has a REALLY good voice and I like the sort of classic rock influence, I was actually very surprised to learn it came out in 2000 -Favorites are Good Fortune, Beautiful Feeling, and Kamikaze
I knew a few songs from this album, like This Is Love - I mean, what a fucking banger. I love this whole album so much, and I've been making up for lost time since finally listening to it by having it on repeat. The Thom Yorke collabs are incredible. You can really lose yourself in a trance listening to This Mess We're In. I think it's time for a PJ Harvey deep dive.
PJ is talented but inconsistent. I can do without about half of these tracks.
Simply outstanding. I bought this on vinyl on the strength of this listen.
I never fully got into PJ Harvey so I was happy to have this project force me to listen to an entire album by her. I've heard songs here and there and have generally liked what I heard, but this is a very cohesive album to listen to and at the same time the songs vary enough in sound to keep things interesting. Those are my favorite albums, where one song ends and leaves you excited for the sounds you're about to hear in the next. I never felt bored listening to this and the Thom Yorke duets were surprising as well.
I just couldn’t get into this.
I feel like Kat Stratford would’ve enjoyed this. It was alright. Not horrible. Not my favorite.
Good album, but I seem to be in a minority in greatly preferring her early work.
this album is why I keep listening to other PJ Harvey albums and get excited when she releases new stuff… but it’s never this album
Not for me
My first time with this one. To be fair I gave it a couple of listens. This is an album that will get better with repeated listening time. Eclectic and punky and PJ has an excellent voice. I liked it.
Enjoyed more than I remembered enjoying it but still not a huge fan.
I was totally thinking that Mick Harvey might be involved with this album.
Listened. Witnessed live. She’s amazing
Iconic!
p j harvey is very cool, the whores hustle and the hustlers whore is my favourite
I'm kind of surprised I am not more into this since it seems like the type of thing I would gravitate towards. I think maybe if I had heard it younger I definitely would like it more. There are some songs I really like on here, "This Mess We're In", "Kamikaze", "This is Love" and "Horses In My Dreams". Otherwise it didn't grab me much. Worth a listen though.
Not bad
I didn't expect an album about NYC made by an English artist being so good.
HL: "Horses in My Dreams", "Kamikaze", "Big Exit", "The Whores Hustle...", "The Mess We're In" Looking back at the other PJ Harveys on this list, I'd say Let England Shake was my favourite, but Rid of Me, representing 90's alternative, has the most reason to be on this list. Stories is in an interesting midway point between the lower-fi Dry & Rid of Me, & the more melodic Let England Shake. It's not a huge departure from her 90's stuff musically, just smoothed over with hip, easy-on-the-ears production... until it isn't ("Kamikaze") Perhaps as a result of knowing its enduring critical popularity, I let my expectations run too wild and found myself (a teensy bit) disappointed in the album I got versus the one I built up in my head. Though this may be the last I see of PJ Harvey on this website, the enigma remains as to why I can't get into her more, despite all 4 albums being really good in one way or another. Guess I gotta keep listening to her then -_- 3.5 Still September 5, 2024
Not that cool, all sort of blended in and was fine but not displeasing
This album isn't doing it for me. Every song sounds kind of the same, and I feel like musically it's been very bland. Her voice is also not my favorite, so it's missing in a lot of ways. I'm enjoying Beautiful Feeling, but that may be because it's a Radiohead song. This Mess We're In is also good. It has Thom Yorke on it again. Basically every other song bored me, and I had a bit of a hard time staying engaged. It certainly wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good. 4/10
Liked this album a lot. Will revisit on the regular.
Enjoyable but I likely will not revisit.
This album sounds exactly like the average of every "critics loved it, but nobody bought it" of the last 30 ish years.
A case could be made for the necessity of listening to one PJ Harvey album. But there is no reason to need to listen to two. This album was okay at best. There were a few tracks where she sounded like she was more just yelling atonally instead of singing. Perhaps it’s a better album lyrically, but I just couldn’t get interested enough in it to care.
lastig album om te reviewen. Mijn eerste reactie is BAH indie rock achtige shit! Maar dat is een beetje te kort door de bocht... De zangeres heeft een geweldige stem, de instrumenten klinken ook ontzettend goed! Het doet me een klein beetje denken aan een eerder triphop album dat ik heb gereviewed voor de lijst, van Portishead. Dat was een ontzettend moody en duister album, en heel eerlijk; dit gaat een beetje de zelfde kant op! Het is alleen voor mij qua kwaliteit wel minder dan Portishead. Het is allemaal minder duister en interessant. Beetje jammer, omdat ik Portishead heel interessant en vet vond, vind ik dit toch een beetje wat saaiier. FAVO: This mess we're in
what a beautiful album. harvey’s voice is stunning, complimented nicely by thom yorke on two outstanding tracks. each song had its own defining features, giving some variety to the album whilst letting it flow gently through your ears. i absolutely adore the sound of this record, and it served as a brilliant introduction to harvey - for my sins. i will be sure to listen to more of her stuff, and i hope that this isn’t the last i see of her throughout these 1001 albums.
I'm in love. I think I found a new favorite.
It was okay. Thom York was annoying as ever. PJ Harvey was annoying too at places
4 stars
Top notch
Enjoyable, not entirely my bag but I could hear it again.
If I were a Gen X this would be an easy 5. Some of the cultural context isn't quite there for me but still excellent.
Not for me, a lot of boring songs... 2/5
Skaplig.
Terrible
Не знаю. Вроде мозгом я понимаю, что альбом хорош, но для меня он прям средний
Some songs had a Radiohead vibe. Not bad.
I feel like she should have at least one hit that played on pop radio stations too much and I assume its misogyny that she doesn't just so I can say her one single was good but the rest of this album is kinda meh, but instead I guess she just took some b side radiohead songs from the bends era. It's OK I guess.
I really enjoyed this album. Must better than I anticipated,will be listening to more PJ in the future
Pretty iconic sound from the late 90s early 2000s. She captures the angst and grunge sounds pretty perfectly. I enjoyed despite her keeping to a pretty narrow lane that she was able to keep each song in the album feeling fresh. The Thom Yorke were really good features too. Got winey at times but overall really nice album.
I like it enough. Better than 2 stars. But not that memorable.
This had a an energy of music made for slightly edgy early 2000's tv. Stuff like angel. Luckily for this album thats a sound I like. It was a bit melancholy and a bit dingy. It's good rainy day listening
Classic PJ Harvey. Still don’t know my thoughts on her, it was pretty okay.
10 10 10
Love this...
I've never got fully on-board with PJ Harvey, she has all the ingredients I normally like, but her music doesn't grab me, and I'm not sure why. This is fine but I don't feel compelled to listen again so 3*
3.5 Fave tracks: "This mess we've made" and "Kamikaze"
Not a bad album. PJ Harvey collaborated with Thom Yorke on 2 songs on this record, and both of those are absolute garbage, but the rest of the album is fine. Fuck Thom Yorke, and fuck Radiohead man. Everything that moron touches turns to shit. All he does is moan. Favourite songs: The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, Good Fortune, Big Exit, A Place Called Home Least favourite songs: Beautiful Feeling, Horses in My Dreams 3/5
Polly Jean is really on her game here, I've already had the raw shock of Dry and the later folksy poetical political Let England Shake, and this is the middle of those two extremes. Polished, but not overly so; rocking, but not overly so; accessible; but not overly mainstream... Quite possibly her absolute peak. Was her "Good Fortune" slipping away?
Boring
Decent
dont love it, dont hate it 3/5 not bad at all imo
A bit uneven across the board but finds its footing in the last third. Not the best voice, but she uses what she has well, creatively beatmatching percussion at the end of certain musical phrases. PJ’s vocal control and range comes across much stronger when she takes a softer approach rather than the fairly toneless yelling on some cuts. The specificity — and oddness — of her lyricism conjures up very specific, evocative scenes, and there’s no topic deemed too taboo. Listened to: walking near Joe’s Pond. Favorite tracks: Kamikaze, The Whores Hustle and The Hustles Whore, This is Love
This was fine
This was fine, kind of like Patti Smith. Loved the Thom Yorke vocals.
I’ve listened to this before but never gotten into it, so I had in my mind that it was a 2/3 album. After listening the first time, I thought it was a 3/4 album. By the end of second listen, I was persuaded to give 4. Very enjoyable.
Big Exit - ⭐️⭐️ Good fortune - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Place Called Home - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ One Line - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautiful Feeling - ⭐️ The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This Mess We're In - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You Said Something - ⭐️⭐️ Kamikaze - ⭐️⭐️ This is Love - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horses in My Dreams- ⭐️ We Float - ⭐️⭐️ Total - 29/60 Percentage - 48% Rating - 2.4
Everything you could want from an indie rock album to end the 90s. PJ Harvey transforms teenage angst into mature anguish. Still grungy, but now all the more beautiful for it. Four hustlers before they started side hustling.
Nothing in this album spoke to me, my biggest takeaway was that I'm better at recognising Thom Yorke's vocals than I thought I would be
Cool nok album med en håndfuld gode sange. Sej stemning på albummet men ikke alle sangene rammer helt og nogle gange føles det en smule ensformigt. Helt klart en 3.5/5 men nok tættere på 3 end 4 dog :)
Not really my jam but the talent and soul put in this album is evident. Nice recommendation.
Very passionate lyrics and vocals, a must listen if you're a fan of indie rock or if you've ever felt aimless in your heart, though I do feel like it's a bit too long and samey for my liking, it definitely peaks in the early tracks.
Eh I don’t like it.
This was great, glad to have finally gotten to PJ Harvey. Very good album!
Mir bisher gänzlich unbekannt, nicht mein Fall. Viele Lieder eher eintönig, für meinen Geschmack langweilig.
Heilt ok
Overraskende solid egentlig
a pretty good album. my second foray into ms. harvey's music, and i definitely would like to hear more. her songwriting is great - i just wish this album was a little more abrasive and less slow and ballady. I didn't really care that much for the two songs with thom yorke (hot take?) but nothing here is bad at all. just felt like it could have been more for me. still a good album!
My 1001th album, and it’s a cracker, probably my favourite PJ Harvey album, very accessible but also brilliant. Love Thom York appearance on this too.
Killer album. The production here is so lush but still never overshadows her amazing voice. I love the Thom Yorke features too as a Radiohead fan.
Certainly better than the noisy mess that was "Rid of Me," but "Stories..." doesn't strike me as a remarkable album at all. Kamikaze does rip, though, and We Float is a beautiful composition. Otherwise, this is generic alt-rock with songs whose length well exceed their content. Thom Yorke does his thing a couple of times, which is fine I guess, but doesn't move the needle for me. I know this album is a love letter to New York, but damned if it isn't a bit corny and heavy-handed.
Interesting listen, which I wasn’t expecting 3/5
It's a good album, but not really my style of music. Can see why people like it, though.
I don't like PJ Harvey as much as she deserves.
To me, PJ Harvey feels like one of those artists that fuckin rock, but somehow I completely missed out on when they were at their peak. Standout tracks for me include "Kamikaze" - what a banger - and "This Mess We're In" - I'm a sucker for Thom Yorke, what can I say.
Have this on vinyl, need to listen to it a bit more. Great album.
6.5
MEh
A little bit too alternate for me
Just not my thing.
This is my first PJ Harvey record ever. I really fell into a groove with it. Will need to relisten to fully appreciate I think. 4/5
Eh. There’s emotion sure, but it’s all so simple. I could listen to this for a track or two but a whole record… no thanks.
Like Alannis, good duo songs with Thom Yorke.
Erkenne die Wichtigkeit. Viele Instrumente und Effekte machen einen einzigartigen Sound.
I tried hard to like this, and I can't put my finger on anything that I don't like. It just doesn't interest me.
3+ Stars (9/15)
Cerramos la semana con ésta mujer hermosísima y que amo. Dueña de un estilo rockerazo y súper sexy en todo, acá se anima a otros matices y a jugar con otros artistas como Thom Yorke. Arranca bien arriba con "Big Exit", con su voz tan particula que grita y se torna tremendamente sensual y se apasiona. Ya en "Good Fortune" se nota cómo se cuela la influencia de Patti Smith pero con la diversión que le da PJ Harvey. Luego, canciones como "Beautiful Feeling", con un Thom Yorke haciendo sutilezas con su voz..."This mess we're in"...¡"This is love"! Este disco es un 10 por dónde se lo analice. Gracias a estas mostras del rock por existir.
Good background play for hanging out with friends
Solid but not quite a 5
So I haven’t listened to ‘more recent’ PJ Harvey for a while. Largely as I thought I didn’t like it as much as the really early stuff. I must have listened to this a reasonable amount before as I knew all the tracks. There is a load of great song writing, but I just found that even though I kinda wanted to I wasn’t really loving it. And then I got to Kamikaze and Is this love, and it was a total step change. Louder, dirtier and just works better for me with her voice. Basically, much more similar to the early stuff. So, trust your instincts kids. Maybe a slightly harsh 3*.
Dang I enjoyed this. Special voice n vocals. Probably special lyrics too but I'm a heathen when it comes to parsing lyrics. I found this a fairly effortless 3x repeat listen. Easy 4 stars. Good find.
Still like it but not as much as when it came out
Great album. Enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Fiona appleish at times?
Not really my cup of tea, but she is good and I liked more as it went on. Chrissie Hynde/Patti Smith/Fiona Apple vibes in parts.
什么上古精神小妹
4.5☆/5 07.25.2024
I just find PJ Harvey so dull.
I briefly had a fling with someone purporting to be PJ Harvey’s cousin. He was a d**k. He refused to help me down some stairs with a pushchair because he didn’t want anyone thinking he was the father. Hope he steps on some Lego every day. Anyway - the album was good even if the family was crap.
I like a lot of punk/post punk, but this didn’t do it for me.
Very nice, chilled out music that I like. It's kind of a crowded field for this type of music for me. I feel like there are other albums out there that I like more in this style. Not bad though and I would happily listen to it if someone was playing it.
Good guitarist. Not a bad songwriter. Her songs have a certain drive -- the opening sounds like a music for Scott Pilgrim series for example, and vocal reminds me of Jefferson Airplane. Which I like. But... this is the only good thing I can say about the album. Half of the songs have a very similar energy and arrangement, so that tracks don't sound distinctive to me. Except that one with Thom -- it was nice. Love Thom. PJ on the other hand...
Very generic rock. There wasn't really even anything memorable or standout. It's a decent album, I guess, but I can't really officially call it good. The songs were boring, with most being mediocre, a couple being good, and a couple being kind of bad. It's nothing I would choose to listen to when better music exists.
This is good stuff
I’ve never really listened to PJ Harvey… which, based on this album, is a real shame. I’m happy to have listened to this
Nothing special here
She had her moments for sure. I could listen to this by myself sometime.
Enjoyed most of the songs and was very surprised when thom yorke showed up!
I wasn’t massively blown away by this album
its like a modern pop rock version of patti smith. im not the biggest fan of patti smith though. this mess we're in and we float were nice but outside of those this record was pretty mediocre. 6/10
She is a good singer and I liked how she sounded quite retro but this just isn’t my style of music. Rating: 2
This just didn't do much for me. I am not sure why. Maybe it's a vocal tone thing... there was some variety in the songs, but they all felt kind of same, somehow.
Cool rock album. I really liked her voice and style
What an iconic 90's sound. It was very clear that some of my favorite current female powerhouses (Fiona Apple, Florence & the Machine) get inspiration from PJ. This album was tricky for me to rate because I think if I listened to it a lot more I'd get into it, but for a casual listen the strong 90's influence made it closer to a 3.5 rating for me since it's not my favorite sound.
It's not for me
Nice record, thom yorke in the middle of it for some reason
First song made me wonder why I don't listen to PJ Harvey more. All songs after made me realize why
As good as this album is her "To Bring You My Love" is even better
Just on the wrong side of "generic alternative" for me. But close
Pretty good. New York vibe.
I didn't really like it but the musicians are talented
Feeling somewhat grunge rock inspired to me, I like this album quite a bit. The tracks featuring Thom Yorke "Beautiful Feeling" and "This mess we're in", deserve special mention, as these create such a strong interplay between their voices, I love it! Favorite tracks: "Big Exit", "You said something" and both Thom Yorke features
This post grunge album from 2000 really works for little PJ. Great guitar strumming with an edge that keeps these lyrics flowing. The Radiohead influence takes it up a notch. Listen to this one all the way though the first time.
Awfully angsty and sounded mournful. I did enjoy We Float.
4*
Such a great album and artist. Add to the list of wanting to listen to more.
I knew the name but never listened to her except for maybe a radio hit somewhere a long time ago. I could get behind this. I was thinking production pop rock, but I was wrong. It’s a 3.5, but I just got laid listening to it so it’s a 4. I’ll listen again and the good times will roll.
Good, but not terribly memorable
This album is incredible. It is very easy to listen too and has many interesting songs. It seems like a pre-cursor to many of the female singer-songwriter albums I really like (Sharon Van Etten, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, etc.). Listened twice and will definitely listen again.
Love her work, definitely one of her best albums
I hadn't heard PJ Harvey before, but I definitely will again. Great album.
This is my favorite PJ Harvey album, and I could listen to "Good Fortune" every day for the rest of my life.
3.5 stars
Idk there were moments I like but overall but this album just didn't really stand out to me. Again, not realistically a 2 but more of a 2.5. Honestly maybe even a 3.
Big Exit - 3 Good Fortune - 2 A Place Called Home - 2 One Line - 3 Beautiful Feeling - 2 The Whores Hustle - 2 The Mess We're In - 3.5 You Said Something - 2 Kamikaze - 3, but when she says "Kamikaze", it's a 1 This is Love - 3.5 Horses in My Dreams - 2 We Float - 2
07/08/24 S Tier————————— A Tier—————————4 Good Fortune A Place Called Home B Tier—————————3 One Line The Whores This Mess Were In C Tier—————————2 Beautiful Feeling We Float D Tier—————————1 Big Exit Horses In My Dreams
Stories From The City by PJ Harvey Monday 7/8/24 1:51 A Tier————————— This Mess We’re In A Place Called Home B Tier————————— The Whores Hustle Beautiful Feeling Good Fortune We Float One Line You Said Something This is Love C Tier————————— Kamikaze Big Exit Horses In My Dreams
This wasn't nearly as bad as the other PJ Harvey album on this list. I still don't think I want to hear it again, but it was much less "indie experimental" than the last and a bit more rock oriented. 2.5/5
Smooth
3.7 stars rounded up.
Random ass radiohead song in there lol
Incredible I get the hype she is awesome
Wasn’t sure exactly what was so awesome about this till those last two tracks. Really brought the whole thing together for me. Overall just solid rock songs, with some really cool, spacey guitars.
Absolute banger after banger
More tame than Rid of Me, but you cannot deny Polly Jean Harvey. Silky and urgent, longing and demanding.
I don't like this one very much and I think it's because of the audio levels. One Line was very difficult to enjoy because the music absolutely drowned out the vocals.
Pretty enjoyable.
weiss nicht so recht: harmonische songs und skurrile tracks - singer/songwriter-zeugs?! kann mich nicht wirklich zu einer bewertung durchringen ..
Gefällig ohne Höhepunkte
Need to revisit to really appreciate I think, liked what I heard….
Incredible Wow Loved the thom yorke features
I really really enjoyed this - this is the kind of music I would make if I had the ability to
Before starting my daily album reviews, I somehow had not ever come across PJ Harvey. I did enjoy Let England Shake, so I had decent expectations for today’s album. Thankfully, those expectations were fulfilled as I was given some delightfully mildly angsty pop rock. This may be a controversial take, but I’m not keen on Them Yorke’s voice, so this led to me not quite enjoying This Mess We’re In quite as much as the other tracks, but I expect I’m probably in the minority there. And that’s fine.
8/10 So good. 6-21-2024
Awful! Dreadful voice - not my thing at all
Ok.
..
glad to see thom yorke, good album but not coming back to it
# Playlist track - Good Fortune # Notes - I've heard ABOUT PJ Harvey so many times while studying design. But never stopped to listen to her. Maybe I tried in some weird past. But I don't even remember it. - It's an interesting listen, and I catch myself all the time thinking that I should have tried it more when I was, in fact, a teenager. - I really like the Radiohead-ish tracks with Thom Yorke. But it feels like listening to Radiohead more than PJ Harvey.
Heard it several times now, love it
Polly hits the apex of her songwriting Big Exit, This Is Love, Kamikaze, Good Fortune, We Float are all tremendous songs
The bits with Thom Yorke were pretty good. Floaty dreamy kinda sound.
Aldrig tagit mig av PJ. Hört duetten med Yorke, som är fenomenal Skulle nästan kunnat vara ett Yorkealbum på något sätt.
Loved it, can't explain why really but the cameo from thom and the fact you could tell it was a multi instrumentalist was fantastic, would love to see it live
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I had heard of PJ Harvey, but I hadn't listened to a single note of her music, until now. Singer/songwriters like her are the reason why I joined the 1001 albums generator.
Nothing really stood out to me on the first listen, so I had another go. The second listen through I enjoyed much more. First half of the album is better than the second half imo Favorite Song: Good Fortune Rating 2.7
Pretty good! Has Thom Yorke on it!