PJ Harvey
– Uh Huh Her
By Zane Ewton
Uh Huh Her is the sixth full-length
album from PJ Harvey and is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Stories
from the City, and Stories from the Sea.
While Stories was an attempt at
the mainstream, just to see if she could do it, Uh Huh Her breaks
into a different direction. Harvey played all the instruments and
handled the production and mixing of the album.
The results are a stripped down, lo-fi
exercise in catharsis and bared emotions. Uh Huh Her begins
with the primal thump of “The Life and Death of Mr. Badmouth”, the heartbreak
of “Shame” and the scratched guitar frustration of “Who the F*ck?”
In “The Letter”, Harvey asks “Who is left
/ that writes these days / but you and me/ we’ll be different.” In
that lyric lies the quality of how powerful her music can be. Uh
Huh Her is about the struggles and feelings of a person who can demonstrate
them effectively.
Harvey is a compelling lyricist and the
songs on this album serve to push the lyrics to the forefront. She
has the ability to be vulnerable, but finds strength in that vulnerability.
Unfortunately there are a few low points
in the album that tend to drag. The final few tracks lose the steam
that builds in the beginning. The one constant is the vocals that
remain consistent throughout.
“The Darker Days of Me and Him” ends the
album, following one minute and eleven seconds of crying seagulls, with
a calmness that is the complete opposite of how the album begins.
Emotions and tempos range very little in between, mostly leaning towards
the mellower piano-driven songs.
The bottom line is PJ Harvey has and will
do better, but Uh Huh Her feels like an essential part of progression.
It is a good album that serves to build anticipation for what is next and
what could be.
CD Info
PJ Harvey
– Uh Huh Her
Label: Island
Records
Rating:
Tracks:
Life And Death Of Mr. Badmouth, The
Shame
Who The f***?
Pocket Knife
Letter, The
Slow Drug, The
No Child Of Mine
Cat On The Wall
You Come Through
It's You
End, The
Desperate Kingdom Of Love, The
Seagulls
Darker Days Of Me & Him, The |
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