Friday 4 March 2011

SONG OF THE WEEK #1: PJ Harvey - "The Glorious Land"


This one's PJ Harvey with "The Glorious Land", a song off her latest record, Let England Shake. I'm not the world's biggest admirer of the lady, but Let England Shake is an instant classic - the kind of thing I say rarely, very rarely these days. It sends shivers down my spine to even think about those tunes, and "The Glorious Land" is a perfect example of what I mean. The buildup is intense and dramatic, the backup vocals are clever, the melody is unforgettable, the lyrics political yet effective, the folk-ish arrangements elaborate yet not overbearing, Polly's singing fragile and heartbreaking. Still, what hits me particularly hard here are those bizarre, coming-out-of-nowhere horns that make this song a truly magical experience. They alone makes it the year's best song - and I don't care that we've only just survived a grey, snotty February. Be sure to check out the whole album, out now.





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