Critic's Choice

Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, the most recent album by PJ Harvey, received the usual critical hosannas, and it's in the running for this year's high-status Mercury Music Prize. But many of Harvey's fans (this one included) found it a bit difficult to get worked up over...

By Michael Roberts

September 13, 2001

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Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, the most recent album by PJ Harvey, received the usual critical hosannas, and it's in the running for this year's high-status Mercury Music Prize. But many of Harvey's fans (this one included) found it a bit difficult to get worked up over the disc, largely because of its somewhat softer, less intense sound and the somewhat softer, less intense Polly Jean who went along with it. (In interviews published around the time of the disc's appearance, Harvey talked about being happy, which is a good thing for her, but not necessarily for her music.) Nonetheless, even a tamer-than-usual Harvey is leagues ahead of most of her peers, and she remains a riveting performer. She's spent most of the year in stadiums and arenas opening for U2, whose fans were more interested in having a beautiful day than in plumbing the emotional depths of Harvey's material, so the opportunity to see her cut loose within the intimate confines of the Gothic Theatre, as she'll do on Saturday, September 15, in the company of Moris Tepper, is rare indeed. Get those hosannas ready.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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