Review of “Let England Shake”

PJ Harvey's "Let England Shake," is both a love letter to her home and an intervention. War is the theme here, violence and death predominate in the lyrics and the music veers between glittering menace and hypnotic dirges. What else is new?

"Let England Shake" is probably a better introduction to the artist than nearly anything released in 10 years. While very different in tone and sound from her early period, these songs nevertheless return to some of Polly's favorite motifs: catchy, circular guitar work, theatrical vocals and multi-layered instrumentation. 'All & Everything' shines in particular, surging and sagging like the tides of Gallipoli, bearing the shattered bodies of England's patriotic dead.