2016 – Island/Vagrant
Today's foray into Iconic Women Week features the artist that I call my '5th Element' artist: the authentic and extraordinary PJ Harvey. I will be talking about her nearly controversial 2016 album, The Hope Six Demolition Project.
Back in the early 90s, I was, once again, watching MTV’s 120 Minutes show when the video for a song called "Man-Size" came on. PJ Harvey? I had no idea who she was, but I was mesmerized as I watched. She was incredibly interesting to me in that moment and subsequent videos after. To Bring You My Love came and I ended up dabbling in her music beyond the MTV videos, finding her to be different than much of what I was hearing at the time. However, it would take me a decade or more to really get into her music and for her to become the great influence she is on me musically and as a singer/performer. (Well… a wannabe singer/performer.
More on that another time.)
I will never forget that first exposure to PJ, and, no matter where I am at in my life and my musical adventures, her influence will always be there with me. Yes, she is part of my Musical DNA.
As I have alluded to in previous posts this month, my relationship with music has been an odd one for many years now (20ish?), so I have been behind on so very much including music by artists I love. Thus, The Hope Six Demolition Project was brand new to me. Although I knew White Chalk and saw the mark of transition it was in relation to her previous efforts, and I had heard Let England Shake (I must revisit it as it's been many a moon since I've listened), I wasn't sure what exactly to expect here. I hadn't read up on it or anything. I was in for a surprise.
Right up front, this album felt like a big, community gathering of sorts, where folks brought the instruments they could carry in their hands. First they were in the basement of a church somewhere, having a music circle. As it progressed, they went upstairs into the church and then made they're way to The White House in Washington DC, USA, then to a patch of grass on the National Mall by the reflecting pool, then a stage in that spot (surrounded by a crowd), and then back to the church. I figure they all might be living and making music in a commune somewhere by now.
This is not your normal band album.
And there is saxophone! Lots of saxophone!
There are almost tribal feels on this album for me, and I am fascinated by it musically even if it's generally not what I gravitate to in my usual musical listenings. Hope Six has a big sound, with a lot of group vocals (male dominated), but without your typical drum kit. Some almost feels like a refined high school or college band kids taking their observations of the world and making music from it. Essentially, that is what PJ is doing here: putting music to her poetic observations of the world.
Lyrically this album made me super curious, so, after listening, I did read up to see if what I was getting made any sense. It did. PJ and pals recorded this in the basement of Somerset House as a voyeuristic art installation (paying folks got to watch the proceedings through one-way glass). The album is born of her observations and experiences traveling with photographer and filmmaker, Seamus Murphy, in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and, of course, Washington DC. A book of his photos with PJ's poetry inspired by the travels was released, and so was this album. Upon reading up, I found I understood it better than I thought I did. Pretty cool, eh?
Anyway… However one may feel about the lyrical content (which did spark some controversy; give it a read up sometime), you can't deny that it's interesting, clearly poetic, and thought provoking. The community feel of the album drive the words we'll, giving it a 'Storytellers' kind of feel. (This album would be a great subject for a show, no?) I do feel kind of like a fly on the wall, which is fitting considering PJ's processes for this album. And I fly along wherever she goes until it's done.
The stand out tracks for me are "River Anacostia" and "Dollar Dollar". "River" is where it feels like the community entered the church, and PJ is singing her solo at the pulpit. After the almost monk-like opening, PJ's voice comes in and sounds amazing, feeling almost devotional in its delivery. Musically, it has the perfect underbelly to support her voice, bringing the organ and congregation in mid song to join, reinstating the community feel. "Dollar Dollar" seems to come back into the church, but this time, PJ is relating a personally affecting experience to the congregation rather than speaking about the times. A brief moment brings along a new memory frozen in time, and her vocal hints at what meaning it had. This one is also a favorite for me as it expresses the moment so clearly, using sounds from the street to illustrate father, poking at the emotional soul within you. And then that incredible saxophone solo at the end works to pull those feels right out of you. Absolutely sublime.
I also quite enjoy "The Wheel", which was also a single for the album. I love how it seems to come in like a lion, bringing all those saxophones with it. Good gawd, how I love the saxophones on this album… Have I mentioned my almost hidden love for the saxophone? I can talk about my favorite songs with sax for ages… The group vocals along with PJ's wonderful vocal with those saxophones weaving through the song makes this the best track on the album for me. Give me more!
Although this album as a whole isn't quite what I would go to on a regular basis, it is fantastic in it's uniqueness and really is a pretty great album. Who knows, maybe one day my connection with it will get stronger. I have a feeling that I will pop in now and then to see how the commune is doing and then, one day, find it has become a home away from home. I like that possibility, and I look forward to the journey.
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