Last Chance

(Note: We didn't name the review "This is Desire" becuase we figured every other record reviewer would do that.)

Remember when REM came out with "Automatic for the People" and you were waving your copy of Murmur around claiming you were into them since way back when no one ever heard of them? Well, I'm going to tip you off early. Go out and buy 4 Track Demos by PJ Harvey, because this new record, "Is This Desire" is getting packaged for radio. They're going to try to make our Miss P.J. a pop star.

Now, I'm not even going to go down the path of saying she sold out because, as luck would have it, she didn't. Sure, she took a couple of singing lessons, but all that raw emotion is still present. You can take the squeaky out of the genius, but you can't take the genius out of PJ no matter how hard you try. At least I hope not.

I asked Jack what he thought of the record, and all he could say was "I feel all funny." If you could have heard the tone in his voice, I assure you it was the "funny" of the best kind. Myself, I felt like I had just been sealed in a velvet envelope. There is more of a rhythmic sense to this record than previous efforts and there's less guitar. It's a ride if there ever was one, and I'd be willing to spend my whole allowance for the tickets.

Flood produced, "Is this Desire" has a sense of urgency about it that's hard to pinpoint. PJ Captivates and controls, and drags you near enough to the edges that you realize just how high up you are. It very well may be her best record to date. There's no other way to say this - the record is sexy. No quiet mouse whispering followed by screaming, more complex lush tracks wrapped up PJ style.

It's always harder to write nice things than it is to pan a record. When I like something this much, I tend to just want to sharply point and say "it's really good" and go listen to it more. Why I like it gets lost in emotional reactions and memories and ideas triggered by the tracks. THis record is like a parable, there's the story it presents and the life lesson repeated listenings will teach you. And whenever the teacher is Ms. Polly, I am ready to learn.

leslie@smug.com

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