Day 0992 - Let England Shake

P.J. Harvey "Let England Shake" (2011)

Harvey had pushed the boat out and away from her rock sound with previous album "White Chalk" where she wrote largely on the piano and singing in highest reaches of her vocal range.   For "Let England Shake" she again changed her approach, starting with words and letting the music come from that instead of the other way around. Harvey also composed quite a bit on autoharp, so again changing things up.

The album was recorded in a church with Harvey leaving a bit of space in the arrangements, giving her collaborators (including John Parish with whom she'd recorded some albums as a duo) the chance to have input into the final work.

The title track opens the album with busy bustle of strummed instruments and tinkly lead line on what might be xylophone.  It's melody seems akin to the more unsettling but beautiful sounds of "White Chalk".   The palm-muted sparse guitar of "The Last Living Rose" recalls Harvey's earlier work but still with a gentler folkier sound.

The lyrics dwell on England, death, war and diplomacy.    Alluding to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, but with Harvey also having read up about Gallipoli and WWI in general.

The album isn't a terminal downer though.  There's some beauty there with the songs often taking on a pastoral, folky quality.   Elsewhere "The Words that Maketh Murder" almost has a hint of "Bird is the Word" by the Trashmen but with horns popping out to add colour and an interesting outro.

"Written on the Forehead" has almost ecstatic backing vocals.   Long-time collaborator (and sometime Bad Seed with Nick Cave) Mick Harvey shares vocal duties on the closing track "The Colour of the Earth".

Another daring and interesting album from Polly Jean, where she reaches outside of her comfort zone to create something that seems totally new for her, yet that also doesn't seem out of place in her body of work.

Day 0915 - Our Aim is to Satisfy

Red Snapper “Our Aim is to Satisfy” (2000)

An interesting band that blends live instruments/players with electronic elements, like samples, loops and scratches to make interesting, (mostly) instrumental music based in deep deep groove.

I liked the sound of this album on paper, and the music was ‘interesting enough’, but not amazing.   That is to say it didn’t impact on me enough that I'll rush out and check out multiple Red Snapper albums, but each new track would have enough of a “ooh that sounds interesting” moment to keep me ticking along.

There’s a reasonable range of sounds on the album, from the dry, hard funk groove of “Some Kind of Kink”, to the lurching groove and cinematic triphop feel of “Shellback”.   There’s the funky “The Rough and the Quick” which is filthy.  It makes its point adequately with its sultry groove and lyrics:

“I want the kind of life I read about

You know, the one you find on the top shelf”

and you’re like ‘yes I do know. I understand that reference’ but before that thought has even lodged itself in your head the lyrics have moved on to spreading thighs, rubbing clits and the singer moaning and panting… y’know, just to really ram the point home.

Album wraps up with “They’re hanging me tonight” which sounds pleasingly like it either emulates or is sampled from an old giallo film soundtrack.
 

 

Day 0500 - Pornography

The Cure "Pornography" (1982)

 
It's almost like one of those cheesy billboards "Pornography!  Now that I've got your attention..."

The last of the 'early' Cure albums as the band was torn apart by in-fighting, drug use, and Smith working to cope with his depression.  From this point on, the band would move away from their gothy droney alt-rock sound for more of a gothy pop influence.

This album is all bass and drum grooves with synth and minimal guitars layered over the top, creating music-beds for Smith's desolate lyrics.

The final (title) track is an interesting sound collage.

Day 0397 - Parallel Lines

Blondie "Parallel Lines" (1978)

I have a greatest hits by Blondie, which I enjoy... but ye gods, this album has so much more variety and interest than the hits package!

Blondie had started to develop their punky sound into more of a new-wave direction and producer Mike Chapman gave their sound more polished sheen.  Chapman took what was to be a James Brown-esque hard-funker "Heart of Glass" and giving it a disco groove.

The album has a kind of fun playfulness throughout, occasionally verging on the childish. Even the slightly menacing "one way or another" sounds like a playground threat with its "I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha".