By the time of 2000's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, PJ Harvey was still finding ways to reinvent her music. While the album's sonics were even smoother than on Is This Desire?, Harvey traded her previous record's moody character studies for direct songwriting that feels even more genuine on Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea: The Demos. As on her previous collections of sketches, Harvey's strategies for her songs are clearly mapped out. Aside from the trip-hop-tinged beats on "A Place for Us" and "We ...
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By the time of 2000's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, PJ Harvey was still finding ways to reinvent her music. While the album's sonics were even smoother than on Is This Desire?, Harvey traded her previous record's moody character studies for direct songwriting that feels even more genuine on Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea: The Demos. As on her previous collections of sketches, Harvey's strategies for her songs are clearly mapped out. Aside from the trip-hop-tinged beats on "A Place for Us" and "We Float," there are few drastic differences from the demos to the finished versions, but even when the instrumentation is as simple as Harvey and her guitar, it never feels like anything is missing. This raw minimalism heightens the songs' intimacy, particularly on "This Mess We're In," where Harvey sings alone instead of being joined by Thom Yorke, and on the somber sensuality of "Beautiful Feeling." Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea's undercurrent of happiness -- one of its most surprising but welcome artistic choices -- jumps out loud and clear on a throaty rendition of "Good Fortune" and an emphatic "This Is Love." As demos, the album's rockers feel lean and unencumbered: Harvey's spine-tingling wails and fuzzed-out guitar have all the crackling immediacy of a live performance on "The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore." Elsewhere, tributes to the power of New York City like "Big Exit" and "Kamikaze" pay homage to Patti Smith and hint at the energy that was about to burst forth from acts like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. While Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea's glossy rock and straightforward ballads were different than anything else in Harvey's body of work, the album's demos remain consistently entertaining for fans who want to hear her music come into being. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi
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Add this copy of Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea: The Demos to cart. $15.18, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Island.
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Harvey. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea-Demos to cart. $16.79, fair condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Island.
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Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
