pj harvey- let england shake

[twentyshots]

well....a glance at all these end of year lists, this one might be the one to beat- and a fine album it is.
my initial thoughts were all positive regarding it's arrival back in spring (or whenever that was). it feels like a complete thought- the whole thing works and is perhaps the most consistent album i've heard all year. and despite the darkness of the album, it projects...lighter....and moves pretty well. if there is a complaint, it could be argued that it is a shade too long. i think the song england could have probably been dumped without repercussions, it seems a little whiney by comparison.

besides that, pretty much a ringer. her maturity and artistic vision really shows.

[Buzzstein]

I like half of it anyway.

[foolsgold]

Couldn't agree more on all counts, 20.  Some of the lyrics are just terrific: The first stanza of The Last Living Rose  and "When you rolled a smoke or told a joke, it was in the laughter and drinking water."  I also really liked her use of, I don't know what to call them, devices, maybe, to bring the listener back into the songs.  The sounding bugle, the chorus of Summertime Blues and Blood and Fire really were quite effective in the way it sort of jarred me back to paying closer attention. 

I also agree with your assessment of England.  The song also reminded me of a question I've had for some time as to why I've heard many Brits add an extra syllable to the word England?  Eng-ger-land or Eng-ga-land.  Weird.

Regardless, it's a terrific album.

[Cockney Rebel]

The song also reminded me of a question I've had for some time as to why I've heard many Brits add an extra syllable to the word England?

Oh please, this from a citizen of the country that invented 'winningest' & 'deplaning', added 'at' to end of the simple phrase "where are you", can't spell 'through' and came up with 'momentarily' as an ironically longer version of 'shortly'.

Oh, and sports commentators that stupidly say "W" for a win, when it takes fucking longer to say "W".

[foolsgold]

Ask a simple question, get an overly sensitive answer.

[Buzzstein]

Saying "W" instead of "win?" I've never heard that one.

[MaxieWOXY]

The song also reminded me of a question I've had for some time as to why I've heard many Brits add an extra syllable to the word England?

Oh please, this from a citizen of the country that invented 'winningest' & 'deplaning', added 'at' to end of the simple phrase "where are you", can't spell 'through' and came up with 'momentarily' as an ironically longer version of 'shortly'.

Oh, and sports commentators that stupidly say "W" for a win, when it takes fucking longer to say "W".

Yes, because the Brits are masters of brevity. 

[Rafe]

I also agree with your assessment of England.  The song also reminded me of a question I've had for some time as to why I've heard many Brits add an extra syllable to the word England?  Eng-ger-land or Eng-ga-land.  Weird.

Regardless, it's a terrific album.

This probably sounds a bit daft, but I was just thinking about this. The word "England" fits in a song lyric very well in a narrative setting, but isn't very rythmical. "Eng-er-lund" is often used on the football terraces as a chant along to the tune of "Here we go". The third faux-syllable makes it a lot easier to chant the nation's name without it sounding fucking stupid

There's probably an entirely different (and more accurate) explanation for it, but that's my dumb guess.

As to the album, it really is a very good group of songs, and thematically it's an incredibly English album. Lyrically it's fantastic. Great lady, great LP.