Reviews (page 5 of 8)
This is one of those albums that I feel like I should like more, and it’s not that I dislike it, but it just doesn’t really hit that hard for me. Now, maybe that is because I don’t really look to pop/rock music for meaning - which seems to be a big part of the PJ Harvey appeal. It’s not that I don’t like lyrics, I just feel like the all of the other parts (melody, instrumentation, recording, etc) are more important.
Decent enough - didn’t really grab me though
Felt pretentious, felt also almost close to something I would like, but frankly it would be annoying if I had to add a paean to Englishness to my listen list.
This was okay. Fun but kinda mid.
It's fine- I get why people revere PJ Harvey, but a lot of this album faded into the background for me. I hear Bjork occasionally.
Not as good as her last album we had but it had its moments.
It's fine. I'm not blown away. It's not very interesting instrumentation wise. The vocals are okay. Lyrics are okay. Not my type of music in general. If I were more crunchy it would be. The anti-war sentiment is something missing from music overall in 2025.
Interesting lyrics that focus on struggles typical of the time ("take my problems to the UN); very British rock, and good sound, but nothing that really resonated with me
6/10
Maybe I'm foolish but I was not expecting the title to be so literal. I figured there would be some talk of England but this is almost on an entire album of commentary on the subject. But props to her for using her art and talents to be so vocal and critical. The delivery was my favorite. There's some great upbeat jangly guitars juxtaposed by the heavier lyrics. There's plenty of variety here and although I didn't love every single song, it did make me want to explore more of her work.
Trur da va verdt et gjenlytt, men får sjå om da skjer
Good album, i have to relisten again tho
Interesting.
I never listened to this on release. Don’t know why. I like it.
I respect a concept album, but I couldn’t really put it together on the first listen. Reading about it a little bit, it’s probably worth revisiting and very well could be a lot more compelling once I understood it a bit more. However the nature of this excercise lends itself to quick judgements and I didn’t like this one as much as “Dry” - the sexy vulnerability of the album drew me in and that was totally missing (albeit by design) from this one. Probably a high 2 but I’ll round up because I think it’s probably better than my first impression.
3.5 This PJ album didnt engage me as much as the others on the list but still very good and very listenable.
So I saw the title Let England Shak and told myself, “This is gonna be some English feminine rage” from the 1990s. I was surprised that that’s not what I found. I think PJ Harvey was a harnessing, her inner Björk, Lisa Gerrard, and Dolores O'Riordan. Some of this was almost angelic, like on Battleship Hill. In the Dark Places, I think my favorite song, was a combination of folky singer-songwriter, alt-rock royalty, and experimentation. As opposed to the only other I know of hers, Rid of Me, and his album is a woman comfortable in herself and her craft, and possibly more English feminine rage than her earlier work. I would have never looked for this album but I’m glad I found it here.
Random thoughts: * I listened to this one twice and both times it just kind of rolled around me. * If this album was a movie it would be a period piece. * I don't know much about PJ Harvey but this appears to not be one of her top albums. Maybe critically acclaimed only because it was a departure from her previous sound. * This solidly mid too.
Enjoyed this one but don't love it
Världens kanske coolaste kvinna, möjligen brädad av Neneh Cherry. Att jag är svag för Polly är knappast nån hemlighet. Jag var ganska skeptisk till det här albumet när det kom, hade svårt att se förbi det storvulet pretentiösa. Men idag har jag omvärderat det. Musikaliskt rått och nedstrippat, lyriken sylvass och instrumenteringen ibland oväntad och kul (autoharp t.ex.). På ungefär hälften av låtarna funkar det förträffligt, titelspåret, "Dark places" och "Maketh murder" t.ex. hör till det bästa hon gjort. Men hon slår också knut på sig själv stundtals. Då har jag fortfarande svårt att helt förbise hur pretto det är. Klarar inte fyran riktigt men trean stark
Hat mir echt gut gefallen, aber so 100% hat es mich dann doch nicht gecatched.
Schönes Album. Ich höre es wahrscheinlich nicht nochmal, aber es war sehr angenehm zuzuhören.
Interesting. Curious. Not my favourite PJ album. A bit of the Julian Copes filtering through. Maybe not enough? Feels throughout that she could've gone weirder in every moment 3.4
The second album from her in this is okay
A few hits and a few misses. Definitely a mixed bag. But overall closer to positive than negative.
Clearly has something to say and I didn’t dislike it but didn’t connect with it either
Bit samey-samey on the first listen. Didn't quite feel as rich as other PJ Harvey albums.
Not what I usually listen to but I enjoyed it well enough
Day 1: Best tracks: The Words That Maketh Murder, In The Dark Places, Bitter Branches, The Last Living Rose I’m more of a fan than not. But I’ve always been lukewarm on Let England Shake. I think it is "The Glorious Land" that keeps me from embracing the album; I don’t care for the mix of the reveille in the song. 7/10.
very different from other pj so far, excited to see where it goes! title track is catchy as all hell, halloween vibes appropriately strong. loving this second track. on 3 now and yep understanding the mercury prize status now! political undertone strong here. hoping into the 2nd leg now! love the piano on 'on battleship hill'. goddamn this is AFFECTING, undoubtedly one of the best albums on war I've heard in a long time. 2nd half is even better. finishing up now, excellent as a cohesive statement. hard to pick individual songs but as an album WOW.
I like PJ Harvey, but I've never listened to this one before. It was interesting and I think it demands another listen. I just don't particularly look forward to doing so.
WTF…this is the 3rd album of hers to pop up on this thing!? Obviously author is fan of hers. Best of the bunch.
What kind of music is this? I dunno... Adult Oriented Rock? Pop? Alternative? Can't quite place it. It's fine, I guess... pretty non-offensive, but pretty bland for my taste. Some cool stuff, but not something I'd seek out.
I started this album having never heard of PJ Harvey. I was impressed - slightly quirky, melodic style. Good vocals I could get behind it. But the more I listened of the album the less of it I enjoyed. To steal the title of one her songs - I was experiencing the downward trajectory of battleship hill. Again vocals strong and elements of the album I loved, but not one I could listen in total over again. I don’t know if the intro to England was meant to symbolise the East London markets of warbaling and random noises. This song is a perfect example - the next part of the song was beautifully presented (lyrics a little strange can’t quite deduce) then it overlays the random warbling again 2.5/5
This one didn’t grab me like her others. It was a good listen but nothing more.
I have to go back and listen to it again.
3.3 2x in airplane from BZN to ATL and Marta
That was weird. Heavy subject matter expressed through airy, distant vocals that are incongruous with the music. But then, I came to understand that it was intentional. The album is an artsy lament about the horrors of World War I in the trenches of Gallipoli and a cry against English pride and nationalism and the tendency to romanticize war in the aftermath of victory. It's not an easy listen.
Ok
Really creative. Artistic and inspiring.
I don't listen to a lot of folk, which is perhaps a surprise as my Dad loves the stuff... maybe that's why! This was a solid and enjoyable listen. Nothing that I didn't like on here, and a few in particular that I thought were good and offered something a little different (_Pink Moon_, _Know_, _Free Ride_) . It's not really in my wheelhouse though and whilst I wouldn't have any issue listening to this, I can't see myself choosing to listen to it again.
Really beautiful vocals, and there are some cool samples throughout. But the whole thing was just a bit too sleepy for me.
I liked it, but was expecting a powerhouse, a very intense record? This was nice, good voice, good songs overall.
Probably not one I would come back to but I thought the vocal performance here was really solid and I was really interested to read that the album was inspired by poetry, because I felt like I needed a second listen to really get behind some of the lyrics.
This is a pretty fun album. Strange for sure, but fun. "The Glorious Land" had me chuckling at my desk. It kinda falls off in the middle though. All and all, its pretty good.
Pretty cool
I was underwhelmed
It honestly surprised me to find out that PJ Harvey has four albums on this list. How I'd always thought about her — and I'll admit it was never terribly often — I would've sworn she would've only had... Y'know, two: 'Rid Of Me' and 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea'. Those are the only two I ever remember seeing show up on "greatest albums of all time" lists, particularly the various editions of the Rolling Stone 500. And I've got the kind of understanding like, "If it ain't on the RS500..." But obviously I'm willing to give these other two albums a chance, even if they're not on that list. I mean the Rolling Stone 500 is as much an authority on "the greatest albums ever" as this list is on essential albums. It's always more about whether I like an album than whether or not I think Big Important Critics™ should find the thing more notable. Still, though, it **does** leading me to wonder why all of her other albums are excluded from lists like that, and there's not much I can do to help having a line of thought like that. So, I tried to be fair, honest. I get where this thing is: it's an indie folk album about war, primarily through the lens of England's involvement in the first World War, though she also gives the "war on terror" some time as well. PJ Harvey, from what I've read, put in a lot of effort doing research for this thing. I don't think she was looking up the history of conflict and reading testimony from civilians and soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan just for fun, y'know? She spent 2.5 years working on this record. Just as well, actually listening to the final product, I can accept the Björk-y kind of thing she's doing with her vocals. It was a little off-putting at first, but I came around to them. But with all that granted, by the end of the album, I just didn't know. It nearly left with as much a loss for words as I had when I listened to 'Dry'. And, seriously, I did try: I even read along with the lyrics for most of the album! And I am **not** a lyrics person most times! But at some point, I just had to face up to facts and admit I just... Really did not have much interest in this album. Like, I'unno, the actual music on this thing just flew right by me. This whole indie folk thing, it's not my style. I sort of felt like I spent nearly the entire runtime waiting for it to get interesting. There were maybe one or two songs in the back half where it did, but by that point it was far too late. I wasn't even reading along with the lyrics by then. Whatever I'd heard and liked so much on 'Stories From The City'... It's just not here. And it wasn't on 'Dry', either, so... I guess I can see, at least from my perspective, why neither of these showed up on any lists like the Rolling Stone 500. I wouldn't call either of them bad, per se... Just the kind of "whatever" that does do a small number of how much I like PJ Harvey. Her standing with me is a bit shaken, let's say. And if 'Rid Of Me' can't prove **its** placement to me whenever it shows up... Goodness. But for the right now, with this album... I'unno. War. Good God, y'all. What **is** it good for?
Had high expectations for this one but musically it doesn't go anywhere for me, this leans more into folk which I've always struggled with.
I really like PJ Harvey. I should listen to her more often, except when she veers into Kate Bush territory, which happens a little here.
Decent
There's some hate for this one. Seems like Marmite, but for me it was middle of the road. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it.
3.5
Fine. I like PJ Harvey, and they have some great albums, but this one didn’t grab me on first pass. Maybe it would grow on me after repeated listening?
75% Best: Let England Shake; The Glorious Land; In The Dark Places Must-Hear? Not quite
This album left me feeling a need to listen to some 90s PJ Harvey. It didn't make me want to listen to "Let England Shake" again, in fact I found it a little disturbing, with the strange vocal delivery and the autoharp. I'm not sure whether I even liked it or not, so I'm going with a three star rating.
Wanted to like it more but it's just a 3
pa ovo uopće nije loše, al ima neke čudne momente i dijelom je zaboravljivo, stoga trojka
It was fine. R.I.P to E-Dubb...
Bit slow for me
Being introduced to PJ Harvey for this project has been interesting. I like a lot of her stuff but don’t love it. May with more listens is will. 3.5/5
I know her. I don't listen to much of her. Not my style.
Interesting listen but never completely pulled me in. Ran through this twice and it became background noise about halfway through both times that would pique my interest at times.
Better than expected and an artist I've never heard before. You do get some corny indie lyrics on occasion but as a whole, not bad. 5/10 (2.5/5)
It’s just alright. Nothing overly interesting, and she has better stuff on this list. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
3 góð, 5 ágæt og 4 glötuð lög. Lagið England lét mig berja sjálfan mig í andlitið með kaffibollanum. Away from my arms, oh lord.
Like, not love
Amazing but not something I'd listen to again.
This seems like a perfectly professional album and I will never listen to it again.
I owned a PJ Harvey album, I think, at one point? I don't remember a single song from it. This makes me a misogynist.
PJ Harvey is cool. This was interesting. 3.65
I like several of the song quite a bit - however not a love. It does tempt me to look back at some of her earlier albums.
I don’t know much of the PJ Harvey catalog, so I assumed this was from the 90s. Feels very much of a different era. Did it.
Why are you praising England 3.89 stars down to 3.
PJ Harvy delivers a pretty timeless album - her style of weaving incredible lyrical prose with unmistakable vocals is solidly achieved here. The album is poetic…an exploration of history, war, and national identity. Tracks that stood out for me: “The Glorious Land” strangely upbeat and almost celebratory sharply contrasts the unsettling lyrics. “All and Everyone” is hauntingly beautiful, carrying the weight of war while also feeling deeply personal. “On Battleship Hill” carries an old-world folk tone, opening gently and with a surprising brightness. Yet the lyrics are stark and brutal. Then, the piano rises and transforms the sound into something pretty transcendent - I got chills both times I listened to this. Overall, this album is edging with sorrow and Harvey manages to transform the subject matter into something profoundly moving.
Inoffensive. Kinda boring
kinda underwhelming if I'm being honest.
PJ Harvey is one of those artists that I like quite a lot of their stuff. However, over an album I’ll maybe only like 40-50% of the tracks. The same is true for this offering
3.75
I always want to like PJ Harvey more than I do, but I don’t. This album is like the others (apart from Stories) in that I find it pretty average. This one is a bit more pretentious than her other efforts, and I wonder if it needs a few more listens to get really into it because the concept of the collection is quite interesting. PJ is channelling her inner Björk on England, and her voice is quite annoying throughout, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever listened to. It’s all fine, but I’m unlikely to revisit this.
Some kind of folk album by Mrs Harvey. The stripped down song arrangements are pretty nice, most of the time (well, not the trumpet. I know what she wanted to say, but it's hard to endure). Unfortunately, I do not like her singing on four or five songs. That is a pity, when the voice is clearly the most important thing on a Lo-Fi record. The lyrics...well, they gave nothing to me. I don't wanna say, they are bad, but I really feel no need to dive deeper into war themes and countries invading other countries, right at this time. But this is not Mrs Harvey's fault. So I am conluding with the old british saying: Make tea, not love! Fav: The words that maketh murder
Definitely not my favorite album from the fantastic PJ Harvey. Probably because it's quite far from her early work, she didn't use to be that "folky". I will only give a 3 / 5 cos I didn't listen much to that record compared to "To bring you my love" or "rid of me" that I still consider today as masterpieces. Pj Harvey remains on my top list of artists I had the luck to see live several times and that have blown me away (big up to the 90's!)
Good album, not overly stand out, but would listen to again
Some alright tunes on here bur pretty mellow. 2.5 rounding up.
ainda não comprei a pj harvey... a sonoridade não é ruim, mas só não me pega nem um pouco
definitivamente um album nao fede nem cheira. tem umas boas, mas não o suficiente pra convencer!
I enjoy the concept more than the album but I can see why it's on this list.
It didn’t really grab me, but I’m feeling like I missed something so I’ll listen again and (if PJ is lucky) upgrade my rating.
I feel that a lot of these lyrics are very direct and on-the-nose. (The Glorious Land and The Words that Maketh Murder.) I don't disagree with them, but this lacks cleverness for me, these songs are bald statements, adolescent and underdeveloped. Hanging In the Wire got some special praise from other reviewers, but to me again seems very straightforward - have these people not heard a song with subtext or imagery or metaphor before? The Big Guns Called Me Back Again: looking this up, it's cribbed from Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful and just seems like a wise and less clear version set to music. Overall a nice concept, but disappointing lyrics and instrumentation: I just don't enjoy the presentation. Giving this three stars because it's definitely a cut above the bland, idea-less albums and artists which populate the two-star strata of my ratings, but given its source material it should be better than it is.
Listens: 4 Standout Tracks: All And Everyone, In the Dark Place Second PJ Harvey album on the List. There's a recurring theme topics ranging from the UK, America, war, death, exceptionalism, exploitation, country, patriotism, pride, etc. These are valid and interesting topics, in the 19 and 20th centuries, 2011 and certainly now, 14 years later. I would speculate then that this is a concept album detailing the country's (UK) past, imperialistic, exploitative, and rich history. As far as the music is concerned, I found that the lyrics on some songs have some depth and richness, while others, are thin and often repetitive. It's a mixed bag. Likewise with the backing vocals or simply background loops. I could easily do without the Bugle in The Glorious Land. It ruined the track for me. Same problem with Written on The Forehead. The vaguely African/Caribbean "Blood Blood Blood and Fire" feels very out of place. All this being said, there were a few tracks that I did like, and overall I was pretty satisfied with the instrumentation present: All And Everyone and In Dark Places I found to be pretty beautiful pieces. I am torn on giving this a 3 or 4. Does my dislike of several tracks outweigh my enjoyment of the rest of the album? I might add a few of the tracks I liked to my rotation, but not the whole album.
Enjoyed this album, like the pared down nature of it and some great tracks on it. Her vocals & lyrics are interesting too.
good, nothing to highlight
It’s decent, liked a few songs but a majority just didn’t click w me
Not my favorite PJ Harvey album. It seems that she wanted to talk about politics, which doesn't really suit her.
Meh
I enjoyed this. I need to listen to more PJ Harvey
Pretty good. A little shriek-y at times.
I'm a PJ fan for sure but this isn't my favorite album of hers. Not bad by any means but doesn't have the same catchiness as other albums. 6/10
Hmm. I liked aspects of it but I didn't find myself wanting to find more. I can appreciate what she made, it seems like a genuine expression of herself and taste. I feel like I can hear her sounds in other modern bands (Arcade Fire comes to mind).
Interesting, don't really recall anything about PJ, though for whatever reason I was aware of her before. This isn't bad, and she seems sincere in her message, but somehow this very musical offering has a bit of an anemic sound to me. It's not bad, has some decent moments. Definitely talent here, and it has that weird quality where if you're listening and you turn it off your ears kinda want to turn it back on. I guess that's good enough for me.
Don’t hear a single but performances are good. Sings like Melina
Some songs are great, some are not
why not 'stories from the sea'?
it's nice but not particularly rocky as i expected
Pretty good
Well, this album gives me a different impression of PJ Harvey. Interesting.
I've listened to this a few times, trying to get a grip on what I think about it. So, as a PJ Harvey fan, I want to like it. Has a lot of emotional depth, the vocal character that she's known for is fully present. But I think it lacks a spontaneity that most of her other stuff has. And the melodies are at the mercy of the themes, it's all pretty forced. A little too poetic to make a concrete statement, too. I struggled to understand the lyrics at some points (and this is an album that is all about the lyrics) because I'm not English. A great effort, just disappointing for me. Of course, she has set SUCH a high bar tht if anyone else made this it would be a masterpiece. And maybe it is. Respect to the artist though for doing something completely unexpected yet again. Please stay away from Nick Cave though.
I liked the vibe and the stripped back sound, but couldn’t get on with the singing. Still, there was some cool progressive sounds and moments here. I reckon I could enjoy more with more listens
My first time listening to PJ Harvey. An interesting album- if not a little one note. Harvey's voice is nice and the sound is very fitting for 2011. It was pleasant overall, but no real standouts for me.
Quite interesting.
I'm quite sure my ancestors fought and possibly died so that I could live in an England where it would be possible to both respect PJ Harvey's efforts here but also not massively enjoy it. Bit too twee, bit experimental, fair play to her for making a project out of it but it's not my favourite work of hers.
Weird but fun. The fucking trumpet tho. The trumpet.
#635. The only other experience I have with PJ Harvey is the album Rid of Me from this list, and that was truly awful. So this one, being not awful, exceeded all expectations I had going into it. 3/5: decent.
Loved her 90s albums, this one had the same spirit, but less of the Bjorky experimental ness, so was less exciting but still enjoyable. -mitona Not for me -sc
This may have gotten me on the wrong day but I just don't understand what I'm missing with PJ Harvey. There are other things I like a lot that are apparently the same vein but an album like this I just can't find the depth I'm apparently meant to.
I listend to this three times. It's fine. I cannot figure out why it is special. It's the third PJ Harvey album we have listened to. It was the best so far. Sounded good on a car stereo.
This is a middle-of-the-road album. Wasn't anywhere near good enough to make the ground shake.
Very creative and worthy. Pj's voice is grating though. When it hits home and is overpowered by the production it becomes listenable. The last living rose is amongst her best work. Largely not for me though
The Good: We get to let England shake! The Bad: The shaking wasn’t enough to really change anything… The Ugly: Inadvertently we will have increased England’s sense of superiority… Let it be known that this is my first PJ Harvey album on this list, and I’m well over a year in on this adventure… and I don’t get it. Let it also be known that, to my knowledge, this is the first time in my life that I’ve listened to a PJ Harvey album, potentially song... Maybe our friend Mr Dimery has a secret crush on PJ? Maybe she’s a relative? Maybe there is something to this artist that I just don’t get… However, as she’s got 4 albums on this list… I do hope that the other three do not pretend to be something made back in the dark ages, with lutes, and bongs, and sparrow screetches… Not my thing, but not terrible either…. down the middle we go 3*
It’s a modern art museum
PJ Harvey I love you but not when you sing like that
Voix aérienne, qui dit ce qui est tu, qui s’impose dans l’emportement de la musique
look this sounds like bjork if she was british and it was made like maybe 20 years later with a completely different field of mind haha. this is the sorta singer songwriter stuff i liked. liked the song with trumpet
It was okay, a bit too pop for me. Too little like The Cure and too much like Dazey and The Scouts
It was okay.
Voice can be a little much at times, but not a bad album. Good Indie sound, just nothing amazing. The guy should sing more.
OK, not crazy about her voice
That's not my taste in music - But ok
PJ Harvey is new to me with this project. This album wasn’t much better than the last - more mainstream alt-indie sound, and less prog/artsy/punk than what I heard before. Still, nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy, just basically not bad.
Too many mentions of England. Sorry, bloke. Not my album.
Admittedly only had time for a single listen through. The themes appear dark and the music somewhat unremarkable. It’s not offensive or boring but also doesn’t really hook me or hold my attention. This may be one I come back to down the road but for now it’s straight middle. Bright spot - on battleship hill. 3/5
A few songs were OK but this is not my favorite genre. I prefer Bjork in that case.
Cool. Somehow reminds me of Bjork, which is good.
3.5 Stars
Creo que es la primera vez que la oigo...y la última. By
I quite liked this. Enough to give it a 4? I'm not sure. Would definitely be a 7/10.
Didn’t hook me the same way stories… did, but still solid
I’m a big PJ fan … but I’ve never rated this album much. I prefer angry 90s PJ to moody 00s PJ.
Interesting concept but I’m not sure about the replayability.
I like this record more than I expected to. It’s got a vaguely 1960’s garage sound to it that I really like. The organs in the title track really stand out in that regard. It’s definitely not a cheery subject matter, given how relatively upbeat the music itself is. I’m not sure if we needed an indie rock/pop album about World War One in 2011, but I’m not particularly upset about it either way. This was an interesting listen. 3*
Meh….I prefer her 90’s stuff but probably need to give this one a couple more spins.
I enjoyed this, even though PJH looks a bit like Justine Bateman …
Totally unfamiliar with PJ Harvey. Vocals had me questioning this one at first but I eventually found the album to be kind of addicting. Ended up listening to it four times in a row and really loved it. One of those artists that I’m not sure I’ll explore more but I really liked this album. It was just so… interesting, different.
A bit eerie and weird, a bit good.
i don't feel like this is the best work from pj harvey... the highlights are strong but I just didn't enjoy the lyricism here on a lot of the songs.
like the other PJ Harvey albums we got, I feel like her voice is under utilized in favor of spoken word nonsense. Its not bad, just lots of speak-singing over tepid instrumentals.
This album was fine. Probably the most enjoyable PJ Harvey album we’ve gotten but… 4 PJ Harvey albums? Naa man we definitely didn’t need 4 of them. What about: Continuum - John Mayer The Take Off and Landing of Everything - Elbow (this one’s even British!) Torn Screen Door - David Francey Titanic Rising - Weyes Blood
From what I remember about the two prior PJ Harvey albums, this one seems more girly in comparison. (Not in any bad way.) I enjoyed this and would listen again. 3.25/5
Typical album that I really enjoyed, but just as background music. It's a pity, but it means that I need to listen to it more. I think I'm creating a Spotify playlist with albums from this page to listen to while driving.
I like this Pajama Harvey.
Wasn't really my thing, but had its moments. I don't like as much as earlier material, but it's not something I'd hate on.
Inoffensive
Nice chill vibe, but wasn't the biggest fan of the lead girl's voice ngl. Didn't dislike it but wouldn't seek it out
One of the most politically forced albums I've heard. Good lyrics, good vocals, naïve sentiment. A bit hit or miss musically. Some parts really had Radiohead vibes. Other parts were like a bad children's song. Let England Shake is super solid though.
Indeed, England leaves a bitter taste
Sure, ok
Very mediocre.
not her best but the Last Living Rose is a generational banger
Not my favorite PJ Harvey album. Still solid, though. 3/5
I like a few of PJ Harvey's albums and I remember listening to this album a long time ago. I only liked a few songs at the time and pretty much still feel the same about it as far as the music goes. With several listens and digging into the lyrics and the WWI background this could be a 4 but I'm already 2 albums behind this week... so just based on the music and songwriting I'm like a 3.5 and not really liking it enough to go 4. Not my favorite PJ album. And yes, that bugle is annoying in Glorious Land. It's so out of place. It sounds like some old man's cell phone is going off.
Okay...
It's poetry, but not very good poetry. Really liked the music too, but it's a bit ruined by PJ's singing
Haven't listened to any albums in a couple of weeks. This was a good reentry, interesting album. Worthy of a second listen, and will go back for it. Felt it was good when it was on but can't particularly remember a lot about it...
Pretty cool. I should listen again and focus on the lyrics a bit more.
This is a lot different than her 90's music, and I like it. Sounds a LOT like Bjork which is probably why the creator of this list put this album on here. Dude has an obsession with Bjork. Anyways, good album, nice and short songs, as her voice has always been a bit annoying. It gets annoying about halfway through this album, so I like the first half better than the second. 3/5
4/12, 33%
Another perfect (and glaring) example of what a filler album sounds like. This was unnecessary. It wasn't bad, just not extraordinary in any way shape or form.
This wasn't all that good for me. It was a huge nothingburger full of unimportant songs and occasionally annoying music.
The one song I got into is "The Words That Maketh Murder". Other than that, the album has a good overall sound but didn't rise above that.
I like a bit of Polly Jean, (SFTCSFTS and To Bring You My Love) but only knew a couple of tracks from this project going into this. I found it easier to admire than love or want to put on repeat.
For my first PJ Harvey album, it was good
- not my type of music
It was fine. I didn't enjoy it as much as the other PJ Harvey album we had in this project.
So much glazing about England (Is it me or does whoever made this 1001 albums list have a weird bias towards English artists?). But seriously, this wasn't half bad. The vocals varied from song to song. They were enjoyable on The Glorious Land and Words That Maketh Murder, but were irritating on England and some others. Feel like this one was a low-to-mid 3.
Not too much to write about this one. I liked the vocals. Pretty album. High 3. Written on the Forehead was a favorite.
Fine enough alternative rock. Her voice was a bit strong at points compared to the instruments. Pretty middle 3
This one isn't doing it as much for me as the last PJ Harvey album. I do like the music but sometimes her voice can ruin a song here and there for me. Overall not a terrible listen though.
I was excited to see this one come up today, I love PJ Harvey but had never heard this album. This album was definitely more of a personal project than an record that everyone would like. I respect that, and I did enjoy it, but I wouldn't listen to it again. But I can see why I hadn't heard this before, it was something that not all casual fans would have ever found. It was an interesting choice to include on this list and I'm glad to have heard it once. I still really like PJ Harvey, but like most I feel like her 90s/early 2000s records were the best. 3/5
3.5 will probably get higher on repeated listens
I think I’d like PJ on something other than a protest album - just didn’t connect with it for me. Just alright.
I like a bit of PJ but her voice always grates and she’s a big fan of repetition in her lyrics, which also gets on my nerves. It’s one of the good albums though, that I can appreciate, if not like.
Not a huge fan, but it was okay. Some songs I disliked PJ's voice and others she reminded me of Bjork and I dug it.
I haven’t listened to her in a long while, but this is way less rockin’ than her earlier music that I’ve heard. It’s a lot closer to the circa-2010 soft indie music that it is contemporary with. I enjoyed it pretty well, although I thought it was rather far from being perfect. I might like to return to it someday. I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics, but it seems the majority of the songs related to war, with an occasional expression of jaded bittersweet love of England. It does make me terribly sad that in today’s Western world it is so hard for an sensitive, thoughtful soul to feel a deep, unfettered love of one’s fatherland without hindrance from constant barrages of reminders of the sins of your country’s past. I think I would have loved to be raised during the heyday of 19th-century European Romanticism. Today, it is too hard to feel such beautiful, beautiful feelings. There is no replacement for such feeling today; the postmodern age weighs too heavily upon our souls
I haven't kept up with PJ since the 90's, so this will be nice to hear. I liked All and Everyone greatly. Somewhat of a Bjork vibe on England. Bitter Branches had the juice and is my favorite. Good folky alternative album. 3.5
I love the idea of this, and bits of this work really well (notably the title track, 'Murder' and the one that samples Niney) but some of it is a bit too cerebral and not visceral enough for me. Right, off to play 'Blood & Fire' on a loop for a while.
Untemarkable
i feel sorry for polly
Folkey and sounds like one long song. I'm probably not in the right mood for this.
I don’t really have anything to say
3/5
I enjoy the sound of this album, although there's no real standout track. Works really well as an album, very chill.
She's not bad. Reminds me a little of Kate Bush.
some cool stuff here and there but overall nothing special
I like this 'in principle' more than I do in practice I think. It's definitely weird and cooky, which is kind of cool but also a bit off-putting. She has done some fantastic stuff in her career and has definitely earned the right to experiment and be a bit off the wall, but this doesn't get me going like some of those 90's singles.
A concept album focused on Englad and WW1; prerrt interesting and strange. These definitely feel like war songs, almost like a musical accompanying WW1, which has a weird tonal juxtaposition. The nusic is pretty good, though not amazing. I think this album works as a full setlist, though most of thsse songs wouldn't work nearly as well on their own. The best one is In the Dark Places.
An Englandcentric album with strong Björk vibes from PJ.
I wonder if I was too harsh on PJ Harvey the first time. I like Let England Shake. I like the strange yet sincere use of ye oldé folk musique mixed with singer-songwriter tunes. This feels unique, and while it’s not my typical vibe and I’m not going to revisit it much ever again, I think it’s a pretty cool record. Cool isn’t enough to win me over, but my intrigue is peaked. I do think that this record could have been a bit more ambitious and leaned into its concept more, and maybe been a bit more inventive instead of just being a granddaughter of Kate Bush, but for what it is? I’m glad it exists.
I can finally state that I'll not get the hype on PJ Harvey's songs. However, from all her albums I got from here on the 1001 list, I can also say that this one was the best. It has some cool songs (more than the previous albums I got), even being a bit repetitive sometimes.
A little whiny, but here we are.
Mild
neo-protestwave indie rock, cool enough listen
# Album Name: Let England Shake # Artist: PJ Harvey # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Decent album. Im not a huge fan of the entire album being a war theme. Gets a bit old. But theres a few good tunes on the album. Sadly, i never feel PJ notches it up a gear or two. Its like she is struggling to get out of 2nd gear. She normally has amazing range with her vocals but it seems a bit wobbly on this album. Despite that, i think it may be a grower but its not going to be a show stopper. Definitely, an album for the more hardcore fans. Not a patch on Stories from the city... # Top Tunes: Living rose / glorious land / maketh murder / dark places # Would I listen to it again? Probably but not on regular rotation.
The extra noises did nothing for me. Good voice; forgettable music.
Another album that's not for me. Don't care for the singing.
Another decent album. 3.5 stars
It was fine.
Hey, not bad
Polly Jean Harvey, the legendary Cuban cigar retailer and deadly clandestine assassin, really pulls one out of the bag here. But which bag, and whose was it? These are the vital questions that need answering, and we are just the right crack team of aquatic mammals to answer them. But first, we'll investigate the bag to see if it contains any delicious molluscs or other seafood. Using our WHISKERS and and our PAWS and our adorable little black NOSES! Our vestigial arm bones will clink and clatter as Bitter Branches rings out through the murk, and then all will be revealed. The meaning of everything. 3/5 Key tracks: All of them!
Just ok. Kinda dug the dark vibes.
Loved her - I think I have 3 of her records - this one not a favorite, quite dark and biting - I was distracted while listening, it wasn't keeping my attn. but PJ is / was a force and shook things up - I like that : )
Not entirely my thing but impressive though. I don't normally like this type.of folk but it does come with some interesting sounds...Again, not the music is would actively listening to so...perhaps a 3-3.5/5.
Fun fact: when I first pushed play I thought "this sounds surprisingly similar to Sheryl Crow", but that was because I was accidentally still playing yesterday's Sheryl Crow album. The actual start to this album is much more my speed on first listen (quirky, unique voiced-singer, jingle-jangly, references to the UK). But it never reached "I love this" status, sadly. No bops! Mild highlights: 'The Last Living Rose', 'In the Dark Places'
I liked it more than I thought I did
This was nice. Might be my least favorite PJ Harvey record. But that doesn’t mean it’s not very good. It’s excellent as always. But I didn’t love her wobbly singing. Doesn’t sound like her.
Pretty good.
ive loved pretty much everything ive heard from pj harvey but with this one im not sure i see the vision
Was just kinda meh
I think the group summed this up well. A lot of good here but felt like it never quite made it off the ground. I also agree we may be missing the context. If Nebraska was your intro to Bruce you’d be pretty confused about the hype. Feel like there’s more here. I’ll come back for “The Words That Maketh Murder”
This album is nice but doesn’t grab me. In some places her voice and style feel a little more melancholy than these songs warrant. In other places her gloominess feels melodramatic. A lot of this is too downbeat / minor key for my taste in pop and makes the songs all kinda blur together. ‘Written on the forehead’ breaks this mold and so is a highlight for me
I appreciate the uniqueness of this and story telling, but ultimately I found this album to get into. Maybe like a Randy Newman album? It takes a while to get the character and story /shrug. I went through it twice so far and it was a lot better on round 2. In short, there were some cool songs. I really liked more of the more bare songs instrumentally speaking. England and The Last Living Rose stand out. Words That Maketh Murder was a good one too
I’ve always been interested in hearing more PJ Harvey, seems like a super talented songwriter and definitely in my wheelhouse on paper, but this album felt like it never really took off. I think one of my issues with this generator is that it can drop you into an artists catalogue anywhere in their journey - in many cases it seems to have given us the most recent/last one first. I might have appreciated this album a bit more if I had more context on the progression. I skipped around on a few of her other top songs and am still interested to hear more.
little too weird
I really enjoyed the anti-war themes. I can tell it's a project that took long to make, it's very detailed. Some standout songs but many of the songs didn't quite catch the emotion I was hoping for. Solid nonetheless.
3.7 I liked it
Not her best but still decent. I wish it would've rocked out more but she goes for a more indie and at times baroque sound. I get it. She wants to grow as an artist and the songwriting remains strong. But this didn't quite hit as hard for me as previous releases. Still, worth a listen.
I remember liking this more than I do now. Mid 3. 70/100
Sadly I wasn't over the moon for this one. I think I needed to listen to some earlier PH Harvey to understand what a departure this was for her. I found most of the songwriting too esoteric. My favorite track was the last one on the album!
ganz nett anzuhören, "shaken" tut da bei mir aber nix
Ajattelin aluksi, että tämä on "vain" kaunista, mutta sitten tajusin, että tämä on Kaunista. Ja kekseliästä (enkä tarkoita ensisijaisesti konseptia). Esteettisesti levy ei ole täysin makuuni, mutta ehkä voin oppia. 3+
Great album full of songs I’d never heard before.
If I knew more about this artist, I would probably appreciate it more because it seems like it is divergent from her discography. With that said, it sounded fine.
I feel as though I owe Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea and apology. I gave it a two and have since revisited it when I enjoyed it more. I found this one to be very unique. Her vocal style and the instrumentation as well as the lyrics are interesting the entire time even if they don’t always work for me. My favorite songs were The Last Living Rose, The Words That Maketh Murder, and Bitter Branches.
Nice.
Morrissey without making me want to strangle a british person. Reserved, very british but I never felt condescended to. Everything else was okay.
Decent rock. Tbh I would be surprised if I heard this before knowing that it's from 2011.
I won’t say that I love every song here, but it is definitely unique and not unenjoyable.
Slightly annoying, but unique and creative at the same time.
2.7.
Good listen.
I thought it was interesting, I listened to the demos they were pretty rough
5/10 - It was kind of boring. She kind of sounded like bjork imo. Also the fanfare in the middle of one of the pieces was very out of place in my opinion.
A difficult album. One of the one side very interestingly composed songs. A lot of variety and creativity. On the other side I'm simply not so fond of them, also after listening a few times. My vote is therefore is somewhere in the middle.
It was alright. I'm still a little upset it isn't available on Spotify. The Last Living Rose was my favorite. Damn Europeans.
Hhmm, while listening my imagination thought this was a celebration of England, until I read the lyrics. They are poetic, but the topic seems quite odd. It’s about war; caused by England? in England? In another comment someone said she did a lot of research for this album……. Basically I think I’m too ignorant to really get this. I did enjoy the English folk like qualities of some of the tracks though
This might be one of the most back-loaded albums ever. The first seven songs are a bit tough to get through but then Harvey locks in and delivers a phenomenal five-track run to finish the record. Also, she sounds vaguely like Björk and it’s throwing me off.
I dont get it, does she likes england?? 6/10 cause nice rhythms.
I am new to PJ Harvey. I quite enjoyed it
It was interesting. Sort of folky, sort of broody, a little strange. It has a certain vibe. Not a lot to latch onto for repeat listening, but good for the background. 3.4
I love PJ and I listened to this a lot when I came out to try and get a foot hold into it but never managed it. I thought a return to it may help, be it no. I can appreciate the storytelling, the state of the nation lyrics and the general folk ambiance. But it really lacks hooks and tunes to get me to want to come back to it.
interesting album and good sound, would probably rate a 3.5
Put your album on spotify you slut
First PJ harvey album. It was cool! Interesting enough to check out her other stuff
Don't think this one is good as Dry, but it's good seeing an artist like this have a critically acclaimed album 8 albums into their career I do like it though. it sorta fades in and out, and when you are in its pretty good, and when you are out its fine too The standout would be the Words that Maketh Murder. Fun bouncy song
I REALLY want to like PJ Harvey, I really do! I just can’t get into her though. I don’t know what it is but literally nothing she does is of note to me for some reason.
To be honest, the only thing I knew about PJ Harvey going into this is that they were shouted out by E-Dubble on Be a King. Turns out that's due to him sampling The Last Living Rose off of this project. Unrelated but that's my favorite song here. Rest sounds good but it's gonna be a grower if anything.
If you're in the mood for "sorta beautiful and utterly depressing," this is the album for you. Songs about war, blood, and dying empire. There's so little joy in this album (not that Polly Jean is known to be super-uplifting) that it makes it a bit of a slog as you go along. Her voice has rarely sounded better and the arrangements are cool. But if you're looking for hope for the future and an uplifting trip -- don't push play on this one. Unexpected bangers: On Battleship Hill, Bitter Branches
This didn’t stand out as anything special to me.
I’m surprised that this album is a required listen given that PJ Harvey seemed to be past her prime by 2011. There is something good about this album. I’ve stayed engaged with every song. Some songs bordering on “not listenable” but not quite there. Choice Cut: These are the Words that Maketh Murder
I like the album I have by her more but this is interesting
I like PJ Harvey. This is not one of my favorites from her but its alright.
I like this one
A very unagitated and calm album, maybe I miss some more powerful vocals from PJ Harvey from time to time.
When I first saw this album listed, I thought "Another one? Really?" But upon 2 listens, there is actually something captivating here. Standouts are the first four tracks.
Don't really see what all the fuss is about. She sounds a bit like Björk, but nat as quirky.
"Let England Shake" is the eighth studio album by PJ Harvey, released in 2011. Man, I feel like I've been getting a lot of PJ Harvey stuff recently. I'm not necessarily complaining, she's an interesting artist to me, even if I don't particularly love her music. This one definitely sounds like a departure from her earlier work, focusing on reverb-drenched folk rock. The main themes of this album revolve around Harvey's disdain for war, especially the various conflicts that her home country of England was a part of. Her lyrics mainly focus on the effects that wars have on society, in particular young men. The message is surely powerful. Her lyrics are very strong. I feel like some of the music is a bit lackluster, but it allows for focus to be drawn toward the lyrical content. The main thing I didn't enjoy was the male duet (?) vocals accompanying hers. I think her voice would've been perfect alone.
I was a bit torn on whether or not I liked this album but the fact that the Pogues were a recognizable influence on the artist pushed it across the line. I'll likely listen again just to filter meaning from all of the darkness
Absolutely a fan of Harvey through Uh Huh Her, but this album lost me, as if it was being self-consciously not a Harvey album. All and Everyone is a good example--starts off great then detours into a kind of talk poetry. Same for On Battleship Hill--starts great, then starts wandering vocally, gets back to very poetic rhythm, then wanders, then ends just when it got intriguing. Love Hanging on the Wire and wish the rest was as organized. Many of the parts of many of the songs grab me, but sad to say it didn't work for me.
We’ve had quite a few mercury prize winners of late. I do like my Polly Jean but I think I liked her earlier stuff better. I can’t remember who I wanted to win that year - maybe Elbow - but she was worthy enough. It’s poetic and clever and well-executed. I loved the starting sample. Not a PJ must for me but good enough.
I am ambivalent about PJ Harvey. I enjoyed the music but her voice is a bit too Bjork-y for me. I didn’t listen closely to the lyrics. It’s always nice to have Billy Bragg involved.
PJ Harvey is zo'n artiest waarbij ik door de jaren heen altijd een beetje aan het cherry picken ben geweest. Goeie singletjes van albums afpikken, en een volledige luisterbeurt onbewust ontwijken. Het beluisteren van dit album bevestigd in ieder geval dat dat geen slechte tactiek was, al is dit maar één van de vele albums. De nummers die ik al kende, 'The Last Living Rose', 'The Words That Maketh Murder', en 'All And Everyone', zijn ongeëvenaard op deze plaat. Ik denk wel dat het een belangrijk concept album is, gezien het een oorlogsthema bezingt dat vandaag de dag weer z'n opmars maakt in de West Europese media. Verder geeft het al een voorschot op de controversiële Brexit van bijna 10 jaar later. De teksten zijn sterk, de boodschap duidelijk, maar de losse hoofdstukken in het verhaal missen een beetje overtuigingskracht en het muzikale vernuft dat wél op de voorgrond stond in de drie reeds genoemde nummers. 6,5/10 Highlights: The Last Living Rose The Words That Maketh Murder All And Everyone
I like PJ Harvey, but this didn't land for me.
Nice relaxing listen, can listen to her for ages and not get too bored. Preferred Stories From the City album, but I was hungover when I listened to that so need to second listen it. This one gets 3.5
I wish I loved anything as much as PJ Harvey loves England. 3/5
B- Let England Shake 4 The Last Living Rose 3 The Glorious Land 3 The Words That Maketh Murder 4 All And Everyone 3 On Battleship Hill 3 England 4 In The Dark Places 3 Bitter Branches 3 Hanging In The Wire 3 The Colour Of The Earth 3 The Big Guns Called Me Back Again 3 Written On The Forehead 3 It wasn't great, but it definitely made me excited to listen to more PJ Harvey.
Yeah it's alright.
I had not heard of PJ Harvey and I made a variety of bad assumptions about what this album would be. After a couple tracks the shock of being so wrong wore down and I started to ponder if this was something I actually liked. I decided it was just an ok album for me. I see it had a lot of awards and that is kinda how it feels. A lot of the critically acclaimed media kind of has a tier of polish that I can't seem to distinguish. Favorite track (I don't recall) 3/5
Cohesive and mellifluous, a surprising change of tone for a PJ album. I feel like the other albums of hers I’ve listened to have been intentionally discordant, so it was unexpected to get something more tame. But I liked it. I was caught up in the vibes, digging it a bit, up until the last track. That one just didn’t feel like it fit properly with the rest of the songs. Suddenly choral and jangling, it threw me off. But, overall this was a very chill listen.
Artsy singer-songwriter pop. Boring to me. Beautiful voice.
This was pretty good with a few stinkers in it. Will I listen to again: 30%
3 - Ni fu ni fa
Good.
better than the other pj harvey album. i liked it quite a bit.
not my thing
This just isn't really my thing, and that's OK.
PJ Harvey is a good songwriter but the music is boring to me.
nice vocals. the music often reminded me of nick cave, at other times björk. interesting listen.
Album 319 of 1001 PJ Harvey - Let England Shake Rating : 3 / 5 I like early PJ Harvey. This left me thinking, "Old PJ Harvey". Nothing too special here for me.
Great female rock voice
can see a lot of Florence + The Machine inspirations, PJ Harvey are a bit obsessed with England though cmon I get it
This was pretty good, 3 stars
Kinda odd but it was good 3.1/5 Id still never listen to it again
Gefällt mir ganz gut! Insgesamt ganz geil. Habe bisher selten bis nie ein Album von ihr komplett angehört. Das hier finde ich ganz gut. 
I had never heard of PJ Harvey before being assigned this album. So - I was leery at best. And then I was totally caught off guard by her totally unique voice and haunting, trance-like, and soothing atmosphere of many of these songs. The first half of the album is near perfection and I was ready to give this album a 5, but I felt like the 2nd half drops off a little except for Bitter Branches. She also gave me that Peter Gabriel vibe in a lot of ways. Great stuff! Favorite tracks: Let England Shake, The Glorious Land, The Words That Maketh Murder, All and Everyone, Bitter Branches
Loved the artfulness of it. But the songs didn’t resonate with me.
First PJ Harvey offering. It was ok. I liked this album less the more I listened to it. It is definitely an antiwar activist album and I appreciate the message I just think it lacked subtlety. Everything was blood blood death blood more death… It’s a straight 3
Good album. Would give it 3.5 if I could
Quite enjoyed this. Probably worthy of proper study in terms of the lyrics. Move variety in the tune just not so keen on her voice
I liked the Manu Chao sample. That was the best part.
Admittedly I do not care much for PJ Harvey. I respect her artistry and having her earlier albums like Rid of Me and Stories From the City on the album, but this makes the 4th entry on the list which feels excessive. Truthfully she's still a great songwriter. She has a lot of compositional ideas that pan out exceptionally well here.
Meh