Is This Desire? PJ Harvey

Polly Jean Harvey is at the centre of PJ Harvey. The singer and instrumentalist was identified as a blues-driven artist when her group released its debut album, Dry, in 1991. Seven years later, Harvey has changed collaborators, with her songs becoming less formal and more emotional. Harvey can be melodic and tough without ever sounding phoney. This record’s title question is examined in most of the songs, especially the title track. That song explores the potential transcendence of desire, but Harvey sounds wary even as she toys with the idea. In Angelene which kicks off the record, Harvey works with what can happen when a person is too open to desire. Harvey sounds more coolly expressive than usual, and the song reveals more layers with additional laser reads. A Perfect Day Elise, the album’s first single, is a thudding, rocking affair leavened by some faux strings and Harvey’s’ crackly vocals. The Garden shows that Harvey’s recent collaboration with trip-hop master Tricky had its share of mutual rewards. The song is a reminder of how much of the blueprint for female alterna-rockers was invented by Harvey. This album should restore her to the ranks of pioneering artists while showing how little some of her successors learned from her.

Claudia Perry

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