Just as Nick Cave releases an album that sounds as carefree as the old devil gets, so old flame Polly Harvey returns sounding as lovelorn and tortured as she’s ever been.
The opening song from last year’s White Chalk album, The Devil introduces itself with a striking piano chord that’s like The Kinks’ Sunny Afternoon turning into California Dreaming’s “winter’s day”. PJ adopts a full-of-woe choirboy falsetto on the verse before her more familiar rasp anxiously demands someone to “come here at once”. Dark and spooky folk for dark and spooky folk.
