This January sees Mercury Prize winner PJ Harvey make a welcome and highly anticipated return to Australia performing in Perth and Melbourne to showcase her newest, and most critically acclaimed album, 'Let England Shake.'
The themes on the album return, time and again, to the matter of war, the fate of the people who must do the fighting, and events separated by whole ages, from Afghanistan to Gallipoli. The album they make up is not a work of protest, nor of strait-laced social or political comment. It brims with the mystery and magnetism in which Harvey excels. Of the album 'The Guardian' wrote "She remains one of the most thrilling and relevant musicians working today... A melodious, beautiful album, passionate and rich and alive." Whilst The Financial Times commented that "'Let England Shake' is the most powerful work yet by any British artist about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Harvey was crowned the Barclaycard Mercury Prize recipient for a record-breaking second time - she is the first artist ever to achieve this remarkable double victory. The prize for 'Let England Shake' came a decade after Harvey's inaugural win for her fifth album 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea.' The Evening Standard commented on the win "'Let England Shake' is a masterpiece... Harvey saw the big picture. She deserved the big prize."The Australian shows will feature songs from the new album alongside songs from previous albums. Harvey will be accompanied by a band which comprises of Mick Harvey, John Parish & Jean Marc Butty.
