In its own way, Let England Shake may be even more singular and unsettling than White Chalk was, and its complexities make it one of Harvey’s most cleverly crafted works.
‘Let England Shake’ is a record that ventures deep into the heart of darkness of war itself and its resonance throughout England’s past, present and future.
Harvey sounds spellbound, portraying the subject matter in hand with a fervid spirit. She’s not sermonizing on the issue, but gently urging for something to be done.
It’s an awe-inspiring, challenging album in all the best ways. PJ Harvey has created an album that will be at the top of everyone’s “Best of” list come December.
Shake’s transcendence lies in Harvey’s acceptance of the limitations of the political album, and the way she recombines protest-music traditions while rejoicing in them—not to mention the fact that the disc houses some of her surest, most haunted tunes in years.
Harvey has, after all, avoided the notion that Let England Shake has a particular political motive. She seems more interested in exploring the feelings that arise in times of conflict and finding the intimacy in war's brute force and broad strokes.
Since PJ Harvey is a veteran artist who, in her 20-year career, has yet to either make a bad record or repeat herself, to call her latest, Let England Shake, one of her strongest efforts to date is a bold statement, but it’s true — this a brilliant record by an artist impervious to aging.
It is able to deftly blend the vividness and conviction of a protest album with all of the yearning of what just has to be a genuine patriotic outcry.
Sung with warmth, these tracks offer a welcome antidote to her more familiar performance mode — spectacular austerity. They’re as bloody and forceful as the battles Harvey references.
Loose and sparse as it is, Let England Shake serves much the same function, lingering in the mind long after its engrossing runtime.
Let England Shake is neither damning, patriotic, nor angry and its gristly lyrics do not dictate the mood.
Even considering all of the horror on display, this is her most straightforward and easy to embrace album in a decade.
Where the album really excels ... is in how it marries slightly absurd melodies to its lyrics to create a portrait of surreality and madness, as was so often rendered by those same Modernist poets Harvey cites as an influence.
Harvey’s singing delivers the material by juggling unwieldy emotions with care and empathy. And she makes the experience sound natural — like a true no-brainer.
Of all her many guises ... this may be her most powerful.
Let England Shake is the sound of someone as maddened as they are enthralled, aglow with anger and passion.
Both conceptually and musically ... Let England Shake is one of Harvey’s more intricate and ambitious projects; in a career defined by shifts in direction, it marks yet another success.
If there's an underlying motif that guides Let England Shake, it's one of being utterly enraged with the seemingly endless cycle of war and violence, while simultaneously being captivated by the mythology of one's home nation.
Let England Shake is a rewarding and staunchly uncompromising piece of art from a master songwriter who remains as relevant as ever. If it all feels a bit foreign or new, it's because Harvey, as always, refuses to repeat herself.
While albums like Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea and To Bring You My Love found her looking inward — Let England Shake sees her peeking beyond her inner observations into the complicated web of English politics.
Always an underrated guitarist, Harvey makes use of the jaunty rhythms of British folk music, but takes no comfort in the past. And you don’t have to care about English history — or England in general — to fall under Harvey’s spell.
Happy Valentine’s day y’all. I may not have someone to spend today with but I do have something worth celebrating either way: 10 years since the release of PJ Harvey’s *second* best album, “Let England Shake”.
It’s been a little over a month but the images are still in my head and there’s no sign of them leaving any time soon. New footage was presented at the impeachment trial but I won’t watch it. I’ve already seen enough. I asked my dad ... read more
If an American made an album like this, they would be called unpatriotic and a disgrace to our country... yet I find this to be one of the most patriotic albums I've ever heard, written by someone who is proud to be a citizen of their country yet cannot excuse the problematic, war-hungry imperialism that leaves a stain on the psyche of soldiers, widows and orphans, and the government that continues to financially sustain this conflict. Lyrically, it's presented very simply and bluntly, in a way ... read more
I’ve been sitting with this album for a few weeks and it just gets better each time I hear it. On Let England Shake, PJ Harvey created an ambitious statement politically, historically, and musically. This album is years ahead of its time as the issues that it tackles would not be brought to the forefront for years to come. This album tears down the 4th wall and pulls you into war-ridden England, with haunting accounts of war as well as the public’s mindset during these times. The ... read more
Genial.
* Let England Shake (9.5/10)
* The Last Living Rose (9/10)
* The Glorius Land (9/10)
* The Words That Maketh Murder (8.5/10)
* All And Everyone (8/10)
* On Battleship Hill (8/10)
* England (8.5/10)
* In The Dark Places (8.5/10)
* Bitter Branches (8/10)
* Hanging In The Fire (7.5/10)
* Written On The Forehead (7.5/10)
* The Colour Of The Earth (8/10)
Nota Final: 83/100
PONTOS ADICIONAIS
• Vocais +1
• Composição +1
• Produção +1
Nota ... read more
1 | Let England Shake 3:09 | 91 |
2 | The Last Living Rose 2:21 | 89 |
3 | The Glorious Land 3:34 | 90 |
4 | The Words That Maketh Murder 3:45 | 91 |
5 | All & Everyone 5:39 | 90 |
6 | On Battleship Hill 4:07 | 90 |
7 | England 3:11 | 84 |
8 | In the Dark Places 2:59 | 88 |
9 | Bitter Branches 2:29 | 85 |
10 | Hanging on the Wire 2:42 | 84 |
11 | Written on the Forehead 3:39 | 85 |
12 | The Colour of the Earth 2:33 | 79 |
#1 | / | BBC |
#1 | / | MOJO |
#1 | / | musicOMH |
#1 | / | NME |
#1 | / | No Ripcord |
#1 | / | Slant |
#1 | / | The Guardian |
#1 | / | The Quietus |
#1 | / | Uncut |
#2 | / | DIY |