Album Review: PJ Harvey Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
Today I'm reviewing PJ Harvey's fifth album Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. Harvey is one of those alternative/indie artists who emerged in the 1990's who was a critical favorite but never a major commercial success at least in the States. Here she's always had a sizable cult following and become a big enough name to tour consistently and be a household name among the hipster trendy twenty something crowd. For years I had heard of her influence on other artists but never really gave her music a listen. Then a couple years ago I decided to put an end to my ignorance and give her a listen. I purchased her third album TO Bring You My Love and then her fifth Stories...(I should mention she recorded her first two albums under her name but as a trio band and thus while To Bring you my Love is her 3rd album it's her first solo album.)
Anyway I purchased both albums and gave them a listen. Both were quite good but I ended up preferring her fifth. It ranks with her fourth album Is This Desire as her most consistent and to me personally interesting. Stories from City, Stories from the Sea was recorded and released in 2000 and is album of songs mostly about finding yourself through relationships even if brief and not meant to be. It's an album not sparking out too many revolutionary lyric themes or ideas but the manner in which it's discussed and the manner in which the music matches it that make the album so standout.
Harvey's work prior to this always had a tinge of one seemingly constantly dark and depressed at least on some level. That's quite true to an extent so when she released Stories many were taking aback by it's gritty optimism. The album is littered with references to travels through the streets of New York City and finding love in the city. The album overall has a very cinematic and visual feel in both the lyrics and the music. One can easily picture New York City and hanging out on rooftops/in diners or walking the streets of the city in summer at night. It's a very geographically centered record in that sense but Harvey's optimism is so infectious and her lyrics on this album are quite simplistic and universal that almost anyone can relate. Here she speaks of loves or a love that was a brief but rather than lament at all she seems to celebrate it for the fun a carefree nature it had and that makes her reflective mood all the more unusual.
The music matches thus throughout the album. There is not much for super paced tempos here or fast guitar solos this album is album about a time and a place and conjuring up a vibe. It's a very lush production with the guitars always driving and keyboards always mixing up textures and the percussion kept light but thumping along. The album opens with Big Exit with a driving guitar chord progression and driving beat to back. Harvey lets her big voice belt out the lyrics and the this sets the tone for the rest of the album. Good Fortune follows in a similar fashion that is quite upbeat. A Place Called Home is keyboard laden and adds to the vibe of the album. One Line is driving and a bit more thrashing than preceding songs. Beautiful Feeling is more downbeat and more murky but Harvey's vocals are quite ethereal with Thom Yorke contributing backing vocals to this and One Line as well. The Whores Hustler, The Hustler's Whore is the album's most harsh moment follows and brings you out of the tranquil pause of the preceding song. This Mess We're In features Yorke more prominently in a full on duet with Harvey., it's a gritty song and both vocalists shine here with their subtlety. You Said Something is a more jangly song that moves along in a whimsical kind of a way. Kamikaze is a more powerful and building up song of tension and release. This is Love maybe the most driving and optimistic song on the album, which is saying alot seeing as the album is on the whole although reflective very optimistic. The chorus is very catchy it's hard to get up and dance around to it's bouncing melody. The next song is Horses in my Dreams is very subtle and dreamy like much of the album. The final song is We Float which is dreamy, ethereal and rhythmic. The way she Harvey sings "We'll floaaat...take life as it comes" puts one at ease any of the darkness on the album and in the song seems to alleviate. She'd reflective but not found herself again through this past love and gain have a peace of mind she never had before. That clarity and peace of mind in a musician singing about love lost is usually quite rare and that's what makes this album so unique...in it's way of tackling it's lyrical themes and having a dreamy lush and optimistic musical delivery to match. It's a very consistent album, that has a special place in my heart not only for it's uniqueness but also for being a soundtrack for me during an intense relationship that although brief left a lasting impression on both parties. This is PJ Harvey's best album as of yet. I find myself getting new subtleties discovered with each subsequent listen and it's like a fine wine it gets better with the passing of time. It's a record in my collection I'm proud to own and will be playing to my dying day.
Anyway I purchased both albums and gave them a listen. Both were quite good but I ended up preferring her fifth. It ranks with her fourth album Is This Desire as her most consistent and to me personally interesting. Stories from City, Stories from the Sea was recorded and released in 2000 and is album of songs mostly about finding yourself through relationships even if brief and not meant to be. It's an album not sparking out too many revolutionary lyric themes or ideas but the manner in which it's discussed and the manner in which the music matches it that make the album so standout.
Harvey's work prior to this always had a tinge of one seemingly constantly dark and depressed at least on some level. That's quite true to an extent so when she released Stories many were taking aback by it's gritty optimism. The album is littered with references to travels through the streets of New York City and finding love in the city. The album overall has a very cinematic and visual feel in both the lyrics and the music. One can easily picture New York City and hanging out on rooftops/in diners or walking the streets of the city in summer at night. It's a very geographically centered record in that sense but Harvey's optimism is so infectious and her lyrics on this album are quite simplistic and universal that almost anyone can relate. Here she speaks of loves or a love that was a brief but rather than lament at all she seems to celebrate it for the fun a carefree nature it had and that makes her reflective mood all the more unusual.
The music matches thus throughout the album. There is not much for super paced tempos here or fast guitar solos this album is album about a time and a place and conjuring up a vibe. It's a very lush production with the guitars always driving and keyboards always mixing up textures and the percussion kept light but thumping along. The album opens with Big Exit with a driving guitar chord progression and driving beat to back. Harvey lets her big voice belt out the lyrics and the this sets the tone for the rest of the album. Good Fortune follows in a similar fashion that is quite upbeat. A Place Called Home is keyboard laden and adds to the vibe of the album. One Line is driving and a bit more thrashing than preceding songs. Beautiful Feeling is more downbeat and more murky but Harvey's vocals are quite ethereal with Thom Yorke contributing backing vocals to this and One Line as well. The Whores Hustler, The Hustler's Whore is the album's most harsh moment follows and brings you out of the tranquil pause of the preceding song. This Mess We're In features Yorke more prominently in a full on duet with Harvey., it's a gritty song and both vocalists shine here with their subtlety. You Said Something is a more jangly song that moves along in a whimsical kind of a way. Kamikaze is a more powerful and building up song of tension and release. This is Love maybe the most driving and optimistic song on the album, which is saying alot seeing as the album is on the whole although reflective very optimistic. The chorus is very catchy it's hard to get up and dance around to it's bouncing melody. The next song is Horses in my Dreams is very subtle and dreamy like much of the album. The final song is We Float which is dreamy, ethereal and rhythmic. The way she Harvey sings "We'll floaaat...take life as it comes" puts one at ease any of the darkness on the album and in the song seems to alleviate. She'd reflective but not found herself again through this past love and gain have a peace of mind she never had before. That clarity and peace of mind in a musician singing about love lost is usually quite rare and that's what makes this album so unique...in it's way of tackling it's lyrical themes and having a dreamy lush and optimistic musical delivery to match. It's a very consistent album, that has a special place in my heart not only for it's uniqueness but also for being a soundtrack for me during an intense relationship that although brief left a lasting impression on both parties. This is PJ Harvey's best album as of yet. I find myself getting new subtleties discovered with each subsequent listen and it's like a fine wine it gets better with the passing of time. It's a record in my collection I'm proud to own and will be playing to my dying day.