Category:
Rock

Try if you like:
Patti Smith, Radiohead, Tori Amos

Wow, did I ever have a hard time with this review. Reason being that this is not the PJ Harvey that we have come to know and love. First off, missing is the aggression and heaviness that Polly is capable. Secondly, I don't believe I've ever heard this much piano on a PJ Harvey release. I would guess that would be the reason for the White Chalk title. Thirdly, PJ has chosen to sing primarily in a pixie like falsetto that sounds more like CocoRosie than what you would expect from Harvey. And finally, there are no real "hooks" that PJ has had on previous releases.

In order to get this review complete I had to listen to this album with a fresh look at PJ. The album opens up with a keyboard of some sort and a haunting background vocal ("The Devil"). Then the substance drops out as PJ starts the vocals. Substance was lacking here. Then "Dear Darkness" takes center stage but unfortunately it is too much like the previous track. This is the problem with White Chalk, not enough dynamics to hold these whispy tracks together. The title track seemed to have the most going for it. Strangely enough, it was one of the few that didn't consist of piano playing, and had a much larger instrument arrangement than most of the other songs. "The Piano" was another one of the highlights on the album. The dual vocals and instrumentation were impressive. 

So if this was PJ Harvey's experimental foray into the freak folk territory, let's just hope it's over. Rating this album was just as hard but I can't help wanting the past PJ back, hence the 2.5 stars. I may find myself eating my words if I manage to give White Chalk a few more listens but for now, the score remains.