A Guide to PJ HARVEY

PJ Harvey is one of the greatest British songwriters of the past twenty years. If you haven’t heard her, you need to fix that.
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[@jpbehel34]

One of my favorite artists of all-time. She’s the ultimate embodiment of the phrase “to thine own self be true.”

[@KekeeBlack]

Then I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across the toe of my high heel shoe

[@Dethmaster64]

I can’t believe life is so complex When I just want to sit here and watch deep cuts undress

[@soaribb32]

The thirst is real

[@nikolademitri731]

Lol.. I kinda feel bad openly admitting to such objectification, but in two years my the thirst has never faded.. We love you for your mind, and taste, and art, Oliver, but good lord you are a Grade A twunk, mate.. 😅❤️

[@fat.cat.]

@@nikolademitri731 What?

[@nikolademitri731]

Fat Cat Lol.. I thank you for bringing me back to this, I almost forgot about Oliver again. Bastard needs to start making vids again already! 😣 But, yeah, as far as my comment, I’m guessing the part you’re not understanding is my calling him a “twunk”? I actually forgot about that word, so again, thank you for bringing me back to this, bc I need to start using it again.. but yeah, “twunk” is a combination of “twink” and “hunk”, which I’m sure I don’t have to explain any further.. If you don’t understand any of what I just said for some reason, then please tell me what you want me to explain, and/or if that wasn’t even what you didn’t understand in the first place. I await your reply, Fat Cat. 🐈😸🐱🏴♾

[@leonardsimonis2376]

yes

[@mtr801]

Uh Huh Her is extremely underrated

[@xx-ug9hn]

Agree, love that record. I think White Chalk is pretty underrated too

[@misterdiscipline580]

I'm more a Is This Desire fan, but I don't half mind it tbh.

[@mtr801]

@@misterdiscipline580 Is This Desire is PJ's best album in my opinion, it never ceases to amaze me

[@whitechalk019]

​@@xx-ug9hn White chalk is so good man

[@mileslukoszevieze3192]

A guide to Sonic Youth would be incredible

[@leonlawson2196]

Miles Lukoszevieze yep

[@suk4honesty]

This is the first video I’ve seen of his but seeing how in depth he goes into each of PJs albums I’d imagine it’d take two hours to get through SYs discog

[@mileslukoszevieze3192]

Possibly, then again he managed to fit 14 Swans albums into a 45 minute long video, only one extra album with Sonic Youth

[@waffleboibailbonds2998]

YES

[@danielzax126]

I never listened to music as a kid, always pretended I hated it because I was upset that I wasnt allowed to have it. Since turning 21, I have been opened up to this world of music, and I'm even going to learn the drums soon. Anyway, thank you deep cuts, it really means a lot to me.

[@leonlawson2196]

Daniel Zax Why weren’t you allowed to have it? Were your parents strict catholics?

[@euginchristo4396]

@@leonlawson2196 Do Catholics not allow their kids to listen to music?

[@Gaminating]

@@euginchristo4396 some 100% depending on the music.

[@MayhemJack]

How were you not "allowed to have it"??? Even if you couldn't buy records or use the internet, you would still "have it." I've always said, you could beat me up and put me out on the street, take everything I have, and leave me with no food to eat-but you can never take away that which fills my soul and sings in my heart and sweeps me off my feet! No one can ever take music away from you, man, remember that!

[@pookachu64]

Pj Harvey saying she wasn’t interested in feminism was very smart, it removed all questions trying to link her with contemporary questions and/or people (and they did try continually in interviews) and made them focus on her writing. Smart.

[@andiinacio9567]

I think *Uh uh her* is a beautiful work as a concept album. It portraits the journey of becoming an adult woman. On a songwriting process annotation she points out: "All that matters is my voice and my story". And I love it its boldness, the relatable content, the erratic sound flow of the tracks, as well as the DIY approach to its production. She stated that producing this record was "a completely draining, disorientating, exasperating, invigorating experience" and "one of the hardest pieces of work I've ever done [...] a journey that I learnt an enormous amount from [...] a very difficult, hard and taxing time, and yet I'm so glad I did it" (Shaken Stir interview). Great video by the way!

[@X-101]

Also White Chalk is super underrated

[@liteflightify]

It's become the one I go to the most. Though overall, I probably prefer TBYML and ROM. Then there's 'Stories', ITD and so on. So many good to great albums. A couple are bound to become underrated.

[@agaroma4776]

It's one of my favourites of hers, together with Let England shake and Dry. And couldn't agree more - it's hugely underrated. Even in this video he spent so little time citing and commenting/analysing the lyrics, which are again so very poetic and bring to mind Emily Dickinson, Virginia Wolf, Sylvia Plath and few more classics.

[@swift-rk1fx]

X-101 my #1 PJ record

[@olivermarijuanajones5041]

That, and 'Dance Hall @ Louse Point', that record slays...and 'rid of me' just flat out rocks, Albini managed to make that trio rock like a train running over yr foot, She is a force of nature, thanks for covering her, she's waaay underrated, especially here in the states

[@imogen9984]

One of my favourite albums of all time, there’s nothing like white chalk

[@Elevantband]

A guide to Josh Homme would be good. Between QOTSA, Kyuss, Screaming Trees, Eagles of Death Metal, Them Crooked Vultures and The Desert Sessions, there's a hell of a lot of stuff to go off

[@empressah888]

He’s sex on legs! And PJH is his band mate for The Dessert Sessions(as I’m sure you know:) Excellent request choice.

[@euginchristo4396]

Man Josh Homme is f ing brilliant!

[@laproserpina2620]

this is love is a masterpiece you can tell how inspired by Diamanda Galas she was during that time, her image and everything.

[@posicide]

Right??? The music video just adds even more coolness and geniusness to the track.

[@zeadsi]

I absolutely adore PJ Harvey. Easily one of my favorite artists. The way she manages to balance personalities and moods is incredible. Her ability to go from a vengeful vixen to a softspoken temptress within the length of a track is amazing.

[@lizucavictoria]

She's an artist I haven't considered at all, but this video has me very intrigued. She seems right up my alley as an expressive female artist.

[@JayPhonomancer]

Eliza-Victoria Batrin Do! She's one of my all-time favourite artists. And if you ever get the chance to see her live do not pass it up. A true artist indeed

[@thanatoastiii6341]

Dry is one of the boldest debut albums I've ever heard. I feel the bass guitar is particularly amazing on this record (in addition to all the other great musicianship)

[@cloudsgrey]

the bass guitar ,! !

[@cloudsgrey]

the bass

[@caladbolg8666]

I recently got into her music and Dry just blew me away. She's definitely one of the most amazing artists today and it's a shame more people don't know about her.

[@ryanmarkel289]

Notable about "Is This Desire": a few years after its release, I happened to read the collected stories of Flannery O'Connor (American writer of Southern Gothic fiction) and realized that several of Harvey's lyrics on ITD were lifted directly out of these stories. Not sure why no nod appears in the liner notes for that record. Regardless, O'Connor wrote landscapes like sci-fi & this otherworldly atmosphere is so much a part of the sound & mood of this album... and for me, it foreshadowed "White Chalk" (my personal favorite) with its unmistakably literary touches. "White Chalk" is what would happen if Virginia Woolfe & Edgar Allen Poe had a sound-baby. Thanks again, Oliver!!!

[@empressah888]

Thanks for that, will look him up!

[@heitorphoddah13571]

I've been discovering her discography lately, almost all of it by now, White Chalk has completely changed my perception of folk, pop and what an artistic long term career can be

[@tammymoulton7588]

I love Uh Huh Her. There is a lot of deep connection to emotional issues that are very hard to face. Maybe it is where I was at at the time, but this album meant a lot to me.

[@nate9279]

You should do a guide on Kate Bush, Pink Floyd, Sigur Ros, Mf Doom or The Cure, any of those would be amazing.

[@ashjones5432]

Very cool

[@MrShinTensei]

Mf and cure for sure

[@soaribb32]

I love Albini too, as a producer for recording. But I wish the mastering wasn't in such low volume.

[@coffeedude]

Yes. I was listening to this yesterday and that was pretty annoying

[@suk4honesty]

When I listen to Rid Of Me the song in my car and I turn it up to groove along to the verses then the fucking chorus blows out my god damned ear drums 🙄 I think he did an amazing job on In Utero but I hate his work on Rid Of Me

[@Natalie-nf9vl]

@@suk4honesty its on purpose on that track. the goal is to get you to turn it up and blow your ears out

[@angusraze9638]

theres a really good fan remaster of Rid Of Me here on youtube (search rid of me pj harvey fan remaster or something and the playlist comes up) it beefs up the production as a whole but still keeps the general volume and textual dynamic from the original mix

[@soaribb32]

@@angusraze9638 I wish they did that on a remastered version

[@patrickel94]

Finally! There's barely (if any) videos that talk about PJ Harvey's work. Many thanks deep cuts!

[@liamthemusicreviewer]

Really needed a boost, both mood and creativity wise, so this was EXACTLY the video I was needing❤️

[@chrispariseau7139]

I watched this yesterday (patronage has its privileges), and that PJ Harvey possibly doing lead vocals for Slint story still is just fucking with my brain. Holy shit. Still so epic to even imagine that being close to happening.

[@tarekdeeb7314]

I love you so much Oliver! I miss your intellectual videos and your quite yet brilliant approach to music reviews. Please come back 😭

[@florida_mane6267]

PJ Harvey Birdman: Attorney at law.

[@spinakker14]

I didn't quite like her last few albums, but she is still my long time favourite She is a true musical genius, thank you for this video

[@noahnw13]

Gosh darn what a pleasant surprise!

[@Stargrazer]

Fantastic guide to a revelatory artist. Every time she puts out something new, I find myself going back through her catalog again!

[@coolhamid1]

Is This Desire? is such a gem. Also, I think Let England Shake might just become her most revered work in some years: it's an outstandingly realized project with huge ambitions, and made a big impact when released, to the point of her following album debuting at #1 in the UK. (Still, love love LOVE TBYML, as well).

[@Missjunebugfreak]

Yay! A guide on one of my favorite female artists. PJ's voice always reminded me of Patti Smith, another artist who i deeply admire.

[@ikd3240]

I love PJ Harvey! She's fantastic!

[@bonniecolton4053]

Excellent analysis of PJ Harvey's work. I could listen to his insightful descriptions all day.

[@Amandanumnum]

this is EXACTLY what I needed

[@taasinbinhossainalvi9173]

LOL! 😂 my nephew’s name is Aman! 😭

[@jefferyjones8399]

This is perfect timing! I just got a PJ Harvey CD recently and started filling in the gaps by listening to her albums on Spotify yesterday. I also watched a few interviews with her as well. She's incredible.

[@danielbernas2293]

Super happy and surprised to see this! Very excited to watch as I've been slowly getting into her!

[@florida_mane6267]

Pause.

[@dickbutt8799]

Daniel Bernas Ewww

[@danielbernas2293]

@@dickbutt8799 omg...

[@valvara123]

My fucking queen! I love this woman. She inspires me, she gets me through things. No one can compare 💜

[@timzzzszszszzz1097]

That flew by Oliver, keep doing these. I gotta say White Chalk is my favorite record of hers. It sounds completely out of time like it was made hundreds of years ago.

[@SunFlower-xo7zw]

I now have a sudden urge to go back and listen to every PJ Harvey album. Great video.

[@headwerkn]

‘Missed’ was the first MP3 I ever downloaded off the internet, via Hotline (Napster well before Napster) circa 1998. I was hooked and within no time bought her entire discography, and have continued to ever since. Such an incredible artist. Her voice is perfection.

[@Pandamasque]

White Chalk is by far my favourite. A masterpiece.

[@florida_mane6267]

Could you do a guide on Outkast? Their discography is pretty consistent.

[@lukenardoni2454]

Why do you need a guide though?

[@therulerofsquids531]

Another great video! A Ween guide would be a great video!

[@thatonedude9744]

TheRulerOfSquids seconded! Ween is one of my favorite bands of late

[@shoutingfactory8973]

I love Ween! 😍

[@JamoboBorg]

Been trying to get into PJ for a little bit now, so this is very welcome!

[@lukenardoni2454]

Er can you not just listen to her songs?

[@JamoboBorg]

Finding out about the context of the songs and having someone recommend what to look for and where to start make a big difference to how easy it is to understand and enjoy someone's work

[@lukenardoni2454]

Pretty sure all her stuff is on spotify man.

[@suk4honesty]

Sometimes it’s hard because you can be turned off by some songs at first and not dig deeper and miss stuff you’d really love so I get it! Had that issue with Joanna Newsom

[@BubblegumLightsaber]

I got into PJ Harvey in the early 2000s, when Stories... came out, after hearing either Good Fortune or This Is Love (at this point I no longer remember). I bought that album and really liked it except for one or two songs (and one of those grew on me), and then in the summer of 2002 I bought To Bring You My Love, and I can say with zero exaggeration that I listened to it two or (more often) three times a day, every day, for at least three or four months straight. It's still one of my favorite albums of all time.

[@sbriggs3200]

Was looking for historical background on PJ Harvey and you nailed it. Thanks for your work regarding a wonderful artist.

[@ToyotaKudoFan]

I'm still a novice to PJ, but I adore "Is This Desire?". What's interesting is that it came out during the late 90s where incorporating Trip-hop and electronic elements into your music was all the rage, but those elements on ITD are a lot more subtle (well, aside from the more heavily electronic tracks like Joy and No Girl So Sweet), so it's aged all the better for it. I'm big on Stories From the City, Stories From The Sea as well, her most accessible album for sure, but I'm not sure if it's the album that I'd recommend to first time listeners, it'd be jarring to hear that album then move onto something like her first 4 albums.

[@lewiswood2140]

I hold uh huh her in high regard with some of her best works. My personal favourite may be 4 track demos. It’s the most intimate you’ll get to pj, and although I adore Steve albini, I find the demos more fun and more raw to listen to

[@NataschaKnopf]

Only a few minutes into the video I realized deep cuts simply read quotes from PJ Harvey's biography to us - "Siren Rising" written by James R. Blandford -, seasoned them with a little personal opinion and filling words here and there and that's about it. Being a big fan myself this approach leaves me quite disappointed, but nevertheless - thank you for bringing PJ Harvey's incredible talent and work to those people who didn't know the bio or aren't into reading that much. For those who are, you will love it.

[@juniorpereira200]

thank you SO MUCH for this one. Big fan here. Last year i had the chance to see her gig (with her extraordinary band) here in Brazil. An experience I will never forget.

[@jjfaceplant]

PJ is the Bjork of rock music. Absolutely love her.

[@dingdong6069]

Excellent as always Oliver. I concur that Uh Huh Her is here weakest album. Something reflected by many other music fans I've spoken to. Then again Polly's "weakest" is far beyond most artists efforts.... yep she really is THAT good folks!

[@beanbeanster7219]

Great content as usual Oliver! I really like PJ Harvey and have always been. I remember buying Rid of Me when it first came out and being blown away by the complete originality of it. I also love her collaborations with Mark Lanegan. They're voices are incredible together. I love it when you talk about someone I've known since the beginning and love the little snippets I don't know about. Fabness Oliver!!

[@MichaelJimenez416]

Excellent work, Oliver! I really enjoyed this guide. These videos make it so much easier to dig into the discography of important artists in a way which feels informed and respectful.

[@katielawrence5420]

I love PJ Harvey.

[@nealpike6611]

saw pj Harvey play to bring you my love at Glastonbury in 2016 what a bewitching 5 minutes

[@bobmontgomery4407]

Y'all need to join the Deep Cuts Discord. It is a fabulous, musical environment and Oliver is such a nice guy! - Private Ryan

[@raymondzrike]

Woah, what a great surprise! One of my very favorite artists. I do think Uh Huh Her is her worst LP, but it is still a great listen. And I know it is a bit of a pedestrian choice, but I really think Let England Shake is my favorite of her's, followed by Is This Desire? and Dry. Let England Shake was my introduction to her, and it still gets me emotionally every time I hear it. Plus the songs were AMAZING in concert. Here's hoping you'll do Kate Bush and Joanna Newsom next to round out my favorites! (yeah I know the latter is unlikely)

[@szymonskalka3319]

I am revisiting PJ's music 20 years after first listening to it. I'm appreciating it even more as I get older. I think it's time to check out her albums from the 2000s.

[@sammy8298]

OMG I did not expect that! great video! I have only known this artist since Let England shake, which was awesome, but that gives me the courage to go in her older stuff. Thanks Oliver

[@TokkaFan41]

Listen to, Is This Desire, To Bring you my love and Whitechalk (very similar style to LES) ✨

[@yourbunnywrong6500]

Nice conversation man) Opened Harvey just lately and staying exciting about all her fresh energy and how "goodfortunately " 😃 she feels herself, while making so good and different sound.

[@mirandamirae]

you should turn this into a podcast. i think it'd be 10x more powerful in that format than in vid.

[@victordinis6788]

Wow! Can't believe you've done this! I already know her discography front to back and I love it, but it's so nice to have your input on her work! Thanks! :D

[@stevealbrecht9392]

Keep up the good work

[@sandelic1]

It's criminal how few views this excellent channel has!

[@alexanderclaylavin]

Three-quarter-hour Polly stanning? I'm in!

[@denillaz]

Thank you for this, i would love to hear more of Nick Cave, and would love to see more footage and PJ as a person other than her musical discography but this is also very enlightening and thank you for all of this info

[@taasinbinhossainalvi9173]

If you like those artists check out the “Peaky Blinders” on Netflix, how they use Nick Cave and PJ Harvey’s music on the show is absolutely bonkers

[@Rose_Macabre]

1 of my fave artists! I absolutely love Dry, To Bring..., Stories..., & White Chalk. Let Eng. Shake is superb, but I don't often reach for it, because the subject is so heavy. I loathe A Woman A Man..., the only album of hers I hate, it's like pouring acid into my ears. The way she continues to experiment & evolve is part of what makes her a truly great artist; even when I (rarely) don't like the results, I totally respect her work as an art form.

[@BenCobb99]

Great video! How about a guide to John Frusciante in the future possibly?

[@coffdrop77]

It'll probably happen, seeing as he's done a deep cuts essential for Curtains.

[@kevpick]

Saw her at Glastonbury 2016 - outstanding. I'd always been aware of her songs, but watching a full show tells a different story. Hope she tours again soon.

[@1chienandalou]

I’m so glad you covered one of my favorite artists! Just one minor thing I noticed (no idea if anyone will see this after many years) I think the lyrics in Rub till it bleeds are “ i’m calling you weak”. Not *in. (She then laughs and says “I was joking”. At least in one version between album and demos). And I’m hearing hand job, although I suppose it could be mutual masturnation. Thanks for the great videos!

[@KekeeBlack]

I love this channel for doing this. I discovered it from the Autechre episode. And I love how long the videos are.

[@balaenopteramusculus]

Very happy to have come across your channel. 44+ minute length of your video on one my favourite artists ever was well worth it. Although honestly it could have taken me 2 hours or maybe even 3 considering all the times I paused the video to listen to the tracks you mentioned. It has been a while though since I listened to her, but now I most certainly will again - possibly also to albums I appreciated a bit less like her last one and White Chalk. My absolute PJ favourites? Uh Huh Her and Let England Shake. Her song with Thom Yorke might be one of my favourite tracks ever. As you said, one of those moments .... I understood you are taking a break to focus on your studies. I would say, go for it. I have plenty of material more to listen to in the meantime. Cheers again for your eloquent, passionate and informed analysis of this great artists life work.

[@balaenopteramusculus]

Oh. And of course, let's not forget A Woman A Man Walked By with John Parish. Black Hearted Love is absolutely bleak, heart wrenching and bare. LOVE IT!

[@Wiwwelien]

I''m so glad i discovered these series. You are a talent

[@WilliamBrowning]

Please. I love you, Deep Cuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@justhurricane5331]

I think the reason that she distances herself from feminism is that it comes with a load of assumptions about ones particular beliefs and aligns oneself with a particular group of people. I think she'd rather create commentary on various concepts related to feminism and femininity without the additional baggage.

[@olivermarijuanajones5041]

She also appears on Moonshake's 'The Sound Your Eyes Can Follow', somewhere..."Rid Of Me" just flat out rocked, Albini made her trio sound so ferocious, they rocked like a train running over yr foot, at more than a few points. 'Dry' was great, too, and 'Dance Hall at Louse Point' it was so abrasive and arty and wonderful...

[@dobo9194]

Well - you were right about the next album being unpredictable!

[@juanpablorb7150]

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea what an album! By far my favorite. She is the best. Humble and simple. Love you PJ! Great video my friend!

[@zeroxox777]

You goodie two shoes! You approach PJ like a music scholar. I don't think PJ can really hear or understand her own music or performances because they are expressions rather then constructions, and she encounters her music from the inside of herself looking out, rather then outside of herself looking on. She needs the likes of us to reflect our appreciation of it back to her, and you do a masterful job.

[@sabe11a39]

This one is so helpful! I've been wanting to get some context on her since Let England Shake made me aware of her work

[@Tamaramariah]

White Chalk, Uh Huh Her, and Is This Desire? are some of my fav albums!

[@profd65]

If there were a "Fantasy Pop Band" league (the way there are "Fantasy Football Leagues"), PJ Harvey would be my #1 pick. She really is the female analogue of Kurt Cobain (minus the drugs and self destructiveness): great voice, great songwriter, able to transform the simplest material into gold. I think if you gave PJ Harvey two cowboy chords and a grocery list to work with, she could make a good song out of it and it would take her about a half-hour to do it.

[@blixa3095]

A guide to Einstürzende Neubauten?

[@michaelh3992]

I want that shirt!!! Oh. I freaking love PJ! Plants and Rags!!! You hear it too! It took me a decade to give Radiohead a chance because the first time I saw both of them Radiohead was touring in support of their first record and opening for PJ touring for “Rid of Me” in LA. I’m sorry, but the power of PJ in a skin tight silver lame dress with guitar slung in front of her screaming “Water” made “Creep” seem like whiney faux grunge. Brilliant explainer!

[@Zzzqr]

Is this happening? So happy you are covering my of my favorite artists!

[@israelalvarez4884]

A guide to massive attack, radiohead,u2,depeche mode,goldfrapp and björk please

[@zeitgeistdinahmoebwanafefe8721]

She doesn't want her beliefs and ideals to be shrunken down to a sociopolitical movement. It's something she would prefer to come to terms with in her personal life. It's not a coincidence why she's labeled a feminist. To get along with each other's bullshit, you'll have to seek a middle ground, exit your secure space and communicate. I keep my feelings, majorly to myself because I had negative experiences when I chose to be open and was waiting to be mocked. I do agree that women are the most oppressed individuals in our society, and do find many things of intrinsic value towards feminism. I'm not ready for excuse after half assed apology for erratic behavior, just to give out a statement (believed to be) based upon the empowerment of all women from all walks of life. Yet, it has nothing to do with humanity, but self-absorption.

[@basilrojas6324]

Wow i'm so glad that I found this,thank you so SO much,Polly is my all time favorite artist o all time.That's saying a lot cause there are so many out there,but for many reasons I will always be a huge admirer of her artistry and work.I love the way you described and explained each album.Might have to disagree a bit on Uh Huh Her,but great work.Cant wait to see the rest of your videos :)

[@buddysnatcher]

YES OMG, I'd love to see Neubauten in the future mang

[@Trainy2]

She's one of the best of the past 30 years now.

[@riptide312]

A Mount Eerie and/or a Xiu Xiu guide at some point would make me very happy ^-^ This was also a great and unexpected guide so thank you much.

[@sisterseeth]

The "feminist" lyrics vs. her public comments on not being a feminist - is something we'll never understand? I think it's pretty clear: "Feminism" only means the ideals of it's own culture, therefore, "feminism" can mean literally anything and this has inevitably led to very draconian, exclusive, or violent rhetoric making it's way under the umbrella of "feminism" and so PJ was avoiding being labeled as whatever feminism has morphed itself into at the time the viewer sees/reads that interview. You can see, it's easier to deflect than to spit out this rather lengthy paragraph about the nature of culture and language. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, is an indictment of the record industry. She wore Spice Girls shirts which everyone mistook as her being there for her musical sisters, when I believe she was fully in costume for the core meaning of SFCSFS, which was to say "I just want the record to show (literally), that I could make a mainstream success album and rake in those millions if I ever so chose to." That's what her live performance clothing during the whole tour was about. "Look at me! I'm the Spice GIrls!" And in predictable turn, that album went #1 and platinum almost immediately. She was turning the gun on the very industry that handed her piles of money. And I think to even have the talent and power to do that without worrying how you'd come out on the other end, is about the most badass thing an artist can do. Two years before this, MTV interviewed her in a huge press junket and she said Kylie Minogue isn't a real person (while giggling). She worked for a decade while younger, less talented hacks passed right by her in terms of being publicly available/elevated on platforms and paid like, well, rock stars. So the fact that she will point this out in such ways is not surprising. I would probably do the same thing. It's not sexism, racism, or bigorty but instead, "Talent-ism" where aesthetics and conformity are the golden steps upon the ladder of an industry - an industry that was actually founded on personal expression and discipline to craft, rather than to photocopy the last success a million times. I never saw her acknowledge this in any interview, just to be transparent, but why would she? Telling the system you've tricked about the trick would ruin the whole thing...and if you look back at that album closely with this in mind, you'll be like "oh holy shit, that's exactly what she's doing". lol Of course, like her previous albums, there are at least 2 other core themes layered throughout the album, which take place in others songs not written to be "hits" but I think the "I can do that, too" was really central.

[@andysmith5997]

I love it when she talks ,all too rarely, about doing the weeding,making some jam,or eating a salad. She finds talking about that so much more terrifying than being tortured on breaking wheels,trapped in the back of a car and made to pray( ?),or drowning her only daughter and then sinisterly singing to the fish. Don’t get her on the prospect of failure either.

[@grayj7441]

I wore the print off my To Bring You My Love tape back then. Ended up having to transfer my Desire tape to a blank tape... not rerecord,. Actually had to change the whole thing out.

[@Homunculus910]

Guide to Mogwai would be fantastic! Keep up the great work :)

[@doggoboii]

i love her so much, thank you for this ❤️❤️❤️

[@neroltecneops59]

Fantastic video. PJ fan loved this very much

[@fromthe4621]

Her work on the BBC Peaky Blinders show is amazing

[@gilkremmer]

THANK YOU for that. Polly, the wise story teller of my tribe

[@attilafuredi5224]

Best female singer-songwriter ever.

[@jayjasperjp]

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is one of my favorite albums of all time