Albums Of The Decade - 95. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

95. PJ HARVEY - LET ENGLAND SHAKE

As concepts album go - it doesn't get much better than this. Polly Jean Harvey has been on my hit radio since about 2000 when I got into her with Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, but it was 2007's White Chalk that indeed made the #54 cut on last decade's century on this blog.  At times as sparse as White Chalk and at times as full-bodied as, say, Stories From the City, yet Let England Shake is still woven from its own historical cloth. Yarns spun from fractured voices, soldiers wounded - it's written in such a measured way, and still sounds hysterical and muddled.

Tonight I made a fish soup for the first time in a decade - and the winter vegetables, alongside leek and potatoes, coupled with the lemon drenched hake made for a tranquil backdrop for this ace piece of work. However, my mood isn't to pull aces out of my sleeve tonight, as I've just finished a very tough jog after a bout of flu this week. I'm not gonna head into Saturday night and make my system shake - but I'll be eternally grateful to Polly for giving me a much-needed break. Back once again. ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Albums of 2012 - 24. Tindersticks - The Something Rain

24. TINDERSTICKS - THE SOMETHING RAIN

One legendary band follows another on this list. For those not in the know: (wiki:)

Musical style

Their sound is characterised by orchestral backing, lounge jazz, and soul; the orchestrations of multi-instrumentalist Dickon Hinchliffe (who left the band in 2006) and the baritone of lead vocalist Stuart A. Staples are the band's hallmarks.^[6] Tindersticks augment their instrumentation with Rhodes piano, glockenspiel, vibraphone, violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet,bassoon, Hammond organ, and many more.

I saw Tindersticks in Reykjavik, 2008. That night was special. The instrumentation and the deep voice of the lead singer was comforting as the Icelandic air was starting to get cool in late September. My good friends were there and everyone, including myself was new to the band. But Tindersticks have this ability to warm you up and soothe. 

If you spin this ninth album of theirs, you'll hear that they open up with a funny, yet epic monologue in "Chocolate" and ends in a sweet twinkly instrumental of "Goodbye Joe," and sandwiched in-between are 7 sumptous tracks with well-written lyrics and that voice that for some reason reminds me of rubies. Just image association!