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Polly Jean who fifteen years ago screamed at her lovers to lick her wounds denying any betrayal, who considered herself happy and bleeding and who, just to give her love, cursed that God above while lying with the devil.
Polly Jean. A charismatic woman like few others, despite not being an ideal of beauty, who behind her gaunt face and flowing hair hides a doe-eyed gaze capable of crucifying you, nailing you in the eyes. And here she is, on Valentine's Day, three years from the painful and delicate "White Chalk" and two from her collaboration with John Parish, where she seemed to have found the perfect balance between mainstream rock but damn powerful (the extraordinary "Black Hearted Love," which never tires even after a thousand listens) and the post-White Chalk canticles ("California Leaving"). And now she returns to shake England between whispers and screams.
"Let England Shake". A work difficult, as much as fascinating and bare, heralded by a gut-wrenching single like "The Words That Maketh Murder," an extraordinary folk cut that in its elegance rediscovers anger and pain, casting it like wounds on the listener's body: the rhythm is overwhelming, pulling one into a spiral and burying them.
Opening with the title track, already presented live previously with its hinted swing, it remains carefree and drunk, just as one would want. Her evolving anger, over apparent calm, that overturns in the marvelous "England," a suffering prayer that caroms between sad sighs and screams that tear through silence or the more catchy "The Last Living Rose," which with its aching rock becomes a sigh of relief when on the horizon the album's amulet emerges: an extraordinary "All And Everyone," six minutes of pure poetry that directly recalls the darkest moments of the incensed Dorset priestess's very first steps. Equally beautiful are "The Glorious Land," a cadenced little march with dancing lyrics in the foreground and trumpets on the horizon, and "Written On The Forehead," a prewar-folk ballad of imperfect elegance that aches.
"I worked on the lyrics first. The music came on its own," asserts the singer-songwriter. And indeed, the lyrics, wicked yet hopeful, are blunt bullets that literally shake, blending with the beauty of the musical compositions, a true evolution in Harvey's poetics , always and always able to convey seductive and unforgettable emotions.
An impassioned journey not to be missed, with Polly always ready to wound hearts with pointed arrows.
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Other reviews
By O__O
"Deliciously perverse, obsessive and enchanting, 'Let England Shake' is an intimate yet impressive PJ Harvey: her soul set in a new perspective that exudes charm."
"Joy in three minutes and twenty-six, to put it simply."
By azzo
Let England Shake is a raw and ruthless analysis of the British Empire, drenched in blood, flesh, and bodies going to die.
When faced with an artist of Mrs. Harvey’s caliber, one must evaluate the work in its entirety, certainly not in the details.
By enzodistefano
It’s the start of the journey through time.
In 40 min and 8 s PJ Harvey demonstrates how a musician can manage to conceive music by putting themselves to the test, researching, and, above all, recreating atmospheres whose existence we sometimes ignore.
