P J Harvey - 4 Track Demo Album

4-TRACK DEMOS is PJ Harvey's second collection of album demos (the first was included on the limited edition version ofher DRY album), and is further proof, if it were needed, ofthe astonishing power of her songwriting. Consisting of demos from the RID OF ME album and six non-album tracks (several of which had previously appeared as B-sides to UK singles), 4-TRACK DEMOS is as basic and stripped-down as you can get. These tracks feature nothing more than Harvey's slash-and-burn guitar playing and her brittle voice, which ranges from a twistedly seductive whisper to full-on anguished screams. By no means an easy listen, the songs here are frequently uncomfortably personal sounding, and often trade on the blackest kind of humor. The standouts on this collection include "50ft Queenie", delivered in an especially frenzied version featuring overdriven and distorted guitars, and "Rub 'Tilit Bleeds", whose already tortured sound is further amplified by Harvey's edgy vocal, which veers from pleading to sarcastic, often within the same word. "M-Bike" is an early indication of the heavily blues-influenced tone of Harvey's later material.