On February 27, 1995, PJ Harvey released her debut solo album To Bring You My Love. On that day, I was turning two years old, so I didn’t really have the capacity to appreciate the album for what it was at the time. Now, however, the album itself is turning 30, and I want to give it more of the love it deserves.
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To Bring You My Love is considered PJ Harvey’s first proper solo album after the breakup of the PJ Harvey Trio, with whom she put out Dry and Rid of Me. This new album was heavily influenced by blues. Elements of the genre can be felt in the rough, raw emotion that Harvey exudes in her vocals. Largely considered her breakthrough album—although there are incredible tracks on her previous two albums—To Bring You My Love featured the undeniable hit “Down By the Water.”
However, it’s the title track that stands out for me as one of the best songs on the album. It starts out with a quiet, rhythmic build, where Harvey begins with an almost scripture-like recitation. The desperate power behind her vocals is unmatched, bolstered by copious distortion and fray. As an album opener, it’s incredibly strong, throwing us directly into the deep end of PJ Harvey’s creative world.
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To Bring You My Love Turns 30: How it Feels to Listen to PJ Harvey’s Breakout Album
How do I put the impact of this album into words? It’s a creative work that feels like wandering the desert for 100 years, like being stripped of love and then offered a crumb of affection by a cruel god. This album feels like an ancient desperation. Like someone’s last resort. It’s begging, pleading, yearning for love and never getting it. Or, sometimes getting it, but only for a little while.
To Bring You My Love is wild and untamed. It sounds like PJ Harvey emulating all the women she’s ever been in past lives. Channeling their profound energy into raw, electric music. The words have not been invented yet to describe how To Bring You My Love makes me feel when I listen to it all the way through, no skips.
On Rolling Stone‘s 2003 ranking of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, To Bring You My Love came in at number 435. However, it remains number one in my heart. And on my list of most-played albums.
Featured Image by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images
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