![PJ Harvey - "White Chalk" [Reissue] | Album Review](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56066cf9e4b0ffbc0fe62db1/1630635393704-LRWDT4MLZV6S4K26JK0D/AISL_725347__163526__06302021023420-6600.jpg)
What was most surprising about White Chalk on its original release was its sound. Harvey’s guitar and classic vocal style are almost completely absent from the album. A shift to piano, an instrument that was relatively new to her, as her main compositional tool seemed to reset her compositional style.
Unlike their main canon, documents of Can’s live performances offer a glimpse of the group pre-edit. They give no sign of a set list - songs pick up gradually, often one musician at a time, and dissipate just as organically. The set is entirely instrumental, as were most of their performances following the departure of vocalist Damo Suzuki.
While the band claims to have always focused on the idea of “evil” and the perversity of playing hopeless songs as gently as possible, album title Evil Joy specifically refers to the pain and pleasure in a deteriorating relationship. Lead single “Where The Good Ones Go” fits right in with most of these ideas.
BIG|BRAVE didn’t set out to be one of the world’s most riveting experimental metal bands, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to them. Each release has absolutely radiated discomfort. Vital appears to push their approach to its limit, leaning into their well-oiled combination of sinewy vocals, slow rhythms, and twin-guitar sheets of sound.
Growing up surrounded by Creole musicians, she might have been primed to follow in their footsteps. Renée Reed has broadened her palette, taking inspiration from a wide range of folk and popular musicians. Her self-titled debut album is a surprising, subtle joy to listen to, showcasing both her roots and a path forward.
The set was recorded on November 13, 1990 during a short run at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA. They lean into the new material, and with good reason: they sound like they’re having an incredible amount of fun. They love this music. Love bleeds all over this recording. They’re remembering what worked in the past, looking to the future.
The Green Child began as a long-distance collaboration between band members Raven Mahon (ex-Grass Widow) and Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring). Shimmering Basset finds the duo now united in Rye, Australia. The results of their newfound proximity are some of their strongest and most distinctive work yet.