SOTD #180 // PJ Harvey: ‘Written On The Forehead’

It’s quite foolish to have any preconceived expectations about what direction PJ Harvey is going to take her music next. Just when you think you’ve figured out Polly’s sound and style, she comes out with something so distinctly austere and perfectly poised that it catches you entirely off guard (White Chalk), while confidently reinventing herself and her sound yet again. So, it’s best to just forget whatever presumptions you have for Let England Shake, Harvey’s eighth studio album (and first under her own name since 2007), and simply be left startled and speechless by her musical imagination and ingenuity once more.

The first taste we get from Let England Shake, which was recorded in a deserted 19th century church in Dorset, is ‘Written On The Forehead,’ a simmering, soulful track that begins just like the spare, piano-driven numbers featured on her last record, before the melody escalates and the surprising vocal samples and muted guitars kick in. It’s something thoroughly modern and innovative, yet unmistakeably Polly Jean, with hints of gospel and moody electronica layered within the relaxed rock rhythms. But above it all soars Harvey’s dulcet vocals, singing about belly dancers, sad circuses, and burning oil, with eyes that are crying as everything around us burns.

‘Written On The Forehead’ is a grand, assertive return for Harvey, who also co-produced Let England Shake, along with longtime collaborators Flood, John Parish and Mick Harvey. And while the song bristles with the urgency of contemporary concerns, be sure that its just a small glimpse into the sonic wonders of what the rest of the record holds. It’s an album which is certainly bound to astonish listeners who’ve come to expect the unexpected from PJ Harvey, yet still manage to be inspired anew by the sheer originality of this truly singular artist.