I Love this album. “The Mountain” wants to crack my head open. I swear it.

I’m sort of fanatical when it comes to Ms. Polly Jean Harvey. I absolutely love everything she’s ever done. That goes for White Chalk, her first album of new material since 2004. It’s no secret that PJ Harvey likes to experiment with her sound; each of her studio albums have a unique character and production style. White Chalk represents Harvey’s foray into uncharted territory. This is her self-proclaimed “piano” album. In interviews she’s claimed that writing an album for an instrument that she’s barely proficient on has been a creative and liberating experience. She also sings in a higher register than her regular smoky tones. So this album is REALLY different and takes some getting used to even from veteran fans such as myself. On a few tracks (“When Under Ether”) you’ll think she’s mimicking Tori Amos. On others (“The Mountain”) you’ll think she’s lost her mind. But the majority of the album has a haunting quality that sounds like she recorded it in a Victorian parlor with musically inclined friends. Best tracks: “The Devil,” “Dear Darkness,” and “White Chalk.”