PJ Harvey
White Chalk

Three years have passed since the uncertain and at times disappointing "Uh Huh Her," and Polly Jean Harvey tries again with this "White Chalk." If you rocked out to the dark-heavy guitars of "Dry," the fierceness of "Rid Of Me," or the pure rock of "4 Tracks Demo," then dreamed with the mastery and deep electronic sounds of "Is This Desire?" or the perfect "Stories From The City..." only to be let down by the four-year wait made vain by the disappointing but not too much "Uh Huh Her," well then forget all these albums, or blend them together, shake well, add a bit of "Flood" and a touch of "John Parish," finishing with lots of "PJ Harvey" and you will get this White Chalk.

You will get White Chalk, to be spread or brushed in your ears, little by little because this chalk is not for everyone, although gradually you will realize that listening in small doses will bear fruit, then you will not let it go anymore, it will be the soundtrack of your coming days. But for how long? It's early to say, I'm still listening and I think it will last for a long time. End of the story? No!

11 splendid songs, technically sung, whispered, and shouted to perfection, like you have never heard PJ do before, accompanied by an insistent and sad piano, capable of creating fine melodies hanging by a thread, surrounded by suspended and dreamy atmospheres, written in a sublime and mature manner, where it's hard to find blemishes, an intimate album, but one that externalizes all its mastery, that mastery somewhat hindered over the years, perhaps by too many guitars, absent or almost in the entire album! Perhaps the beginning of a new creative path where no track prevails, the only exceptions we can give are "The Devil", the title track "White Chalk", and the final apotheosis of "The Mountain" a song that at first listen hides all its depth, are just positive nuances where nothing exceeds.

Finally, a positive signal, the fears that little PJ had lost herself in the meanders of creative scantness have vanished, it truly deserves a listen, especially in this era of lean times. Fans cannot miss it, and to other listeners perhaps still naive in Harveyan knowledge, I strongly recommend it.