Zack: The makers of the list have a bit of a PJ
Harvey obsession. Dry is one of three albums on the version that we work off
of, and the revisions since then have added a fourth. I’ve actually listened to
the one that was added (Let England Shake) and was sort of underwhelmed. It was
okay, but certainly nothing special. Dry is much better. Each song stands out
as its own entity. Some are packed with a ferocity that’s hard to match. Others
are a bit more understated. I tended to prefer the former. At its best, Dry
sort of served as a halfway point between Patti Smith and Sleater-Kinney.
Seeing as I loved both of those albums, that’s certainly a good place to be.
Favorite Tracks: Dress; Water; Oh My Lover
Emily: I had never heard of PJ Harvey before the other day, but apparently she's a big enough deal in the UK to have a royally-deemed title that's a few steps below knight. I don't know how exclusive such a title is, but it sounds pretty important to me. And based on Dry, the recognition is warranted too. It's a grunge-era album but predates the riot-grrl wave by a few years. The influence of both movements is apparent throughout the album. There's a certain urgency and anger in Harvey's voice that reminded me at once of Nirvana and Sleater-Kinney. That's some pretty good company to stand with in my book, and I hope her next two albums live up to them too.
Favorite Tracks: Oh My Lover; Hair; Sheela-Na-Gig
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