PJ Harvey "Let England Shake"

"Let England Shake" with those vocals "to the fountain of death/& splash about, swim back and forth/& laugh out loud." "The Last Living Rose" is a nice trombone and percussion led song that ends too shortly. "The Glorious Land" has morning trumpet that comes in three seperate times before one minute, and then leaves.There is this nice shimmery riff which asks "And what is the glorious fruit of our land?/(Its fruit is deformed children)." The song as a whole is a real powerful one, but does not seem too overbearing; it doesn't seem too precocious. Trombone, saxophone, autoharp and soldiers being blown to pieces, swarms of flies around everyone's features, that unrelelenting stench and heat those must be "The Words That Maketh Murder" sweet; ugh, not exactly, and listening to the lyrics it's unsettling. If there is a song that takes a hard jab at England, it would be this one.There is organ, trombone, saxophone, and auto harp sound really nice on "All & Everyone" which slows down after 1:56 and those hand drums fllow, it gradually picks up, or not, but to hear "Death was in the staring sun/fixing its eyes on everyone" can bring chills down your spine.We are not proud of the cruel nature, but it has won "On Battleship Hill" which has a driving strummed guitar and beautiful piano along with those distinctive and haunting vocals fom Harvey. "England" is  tribute to her beloved country with wailing vocals, a nice round, violin, mellotron, organ, and "It leaves a sadness/ Remedies never were within my reach/I cannot go on as I am/Withered vine reaching from the country/That I love/ England/ You leave a taste/A bitter one." This song has group vocals, trombone, saxophone and the piano all hiding "In The Dark Places," so they all blend in real well and hit people's ears with notes in those spaces. The "Bitter Branches" has this driving beat along "twisting under/soldier's feet,standing in line/And the damp earth underneath.Holding up their rifles/ high/ holding their young wives who wave goodbye." What's "Hanging on the Wire?" It can't be the piano it's too heavy, or what about the drums' high hat? Not that. It's embarrasing when you find out that you have something "Written On Your Forehead" after you see everybody laughing at you,and you wonder why. This has nice backing vocals, and this hi-hat fronted percussion, and mellotron. "The Colour of the Earth"  is about a friend who was a soldier in the anzac tranch left her once, she never saw him again. It sound likes the percussion includes bells. Another spectacular record, but if could only choose 8 songs i would choose: Let England Shake,The Last Living Rose, The Glorious Land, The Words That Maketh Murder, England, In The Dark Places, Bitter Branches, and Written on Your Forehead.