PJ Harvey 'Is This Desire' (Island). Polly's fifth album finds her on thematically familiar ground. The drowned daughters and doomed lovers that have populated much of her work might still be lurking in the shadows, but the overall sound is surprisingly warm - The Wind, for instance, is almost laid-back, recalling the Doors at their most mellow, and while still vocally naked, the arrangement is not as sparse as, say, her last collaboration with partner John Parish. This is positive proof that PJ Harvey grows more accessible with each record.

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