The first one I am admittedly slow to the uptake on, since it’s been out since February. PJ Harvey’s new one, “Let England Shake” is a staggeringly brilliant social statement that may resonate more with the British than us Yankees. Loosely conceptualized around post World War 1 Britain, Harvey’s original melodies are incredibly arranged into these haunting vignettes of song that wiggle their way into your ears and just wont let up.
Her decision to sing these songs in a higher vocal register adds to the tension and immediacy of this effort, which just gets better and better with each repeated listen.
The second morsel wont be out until June, but a new single by Jill Scott has hit the internet. From her upcoming album, “The Light Of The Sun” this new tune called “So In Love” had me hooked from the git-go with it’s astonishing old school R&B styling. A duet with Anthony Hamilton , this track starts with a ride cymbal fade in , and just takes off from there. The vocal interplay between the two just drenched me with memories of Marvin and Tammy’s best work of the ‘60’s. It’s simply that good. You can hear it over at her website, www.missjillscott.com Just make sure you’re not driving or doing any heavy lifting when you check it out because this tune will leave you breathless.