A complete about turn for PJ Harvey’s third album, released in 1995. After Rid of Me she had ceased working with her band and what transpired is a much moodier beast than its predecessor. The album opens with the creeping melancholy of the title track, more of a low growl than the roars of the previous album. It’s malevolent to say the least. It’s not all moody fare, Meet Ze Monsta has a steady, grinding beat, while Long Snake Moan is the heaviest thing here, and the one song that could have fit on Rid of Me.
But it’s the
quieter numbers which reveal themselves after several plays. Working for the Man is at times, barely
there, with just the merest of drumbeats and muted stabs of bass. Teclo is at the heart of the album, a low,
slow rumble with focus very much on Harvey’s voice. Down By The Water is creepy and nightmarish
(in a good way) conjuring up all kinds of dark imagery. The instrumentation reduces to barely-there
proportions on the primitive blues I Think I’m A Mother. These tracks slip by almost unnoticed at
first but repeat listens will allow them to burrow into your brain.
C’mon Billy
and Send His Love To Me are two of the more fleshed out tracks here, with
strings and an eerie keyboard accompanying a fine line in acoustic guitar. And none of these tracks outstay their
welcome. Proceedings finish with The
Dancer, a mysterious lament which seems to sum up the album.
Although the album initially seems understated in comparison to the manner in which Rid of Me grabs your ears and compels you to listen, To Bring You My Love is one of those albums that you’ll suddenly realise you’ve been listening to it for 3 weeks straight.
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