This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
On her last album, Polly Jean Harvey wanted to sit and watch you undress. Now she just wants you to put on your damn clothes and get the hell out of her life.
Apparently recovered from that nasty bout of optimism and romance that coloured 2000’s Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, PJ makes a hasty mood swing back to the comfort zone of misanthropy on her latest CD Uh Huh Her. Fittingly, she goes it alone on these 14 stripped-down confessions of twisted obsession and dysfunctional desire, handling pretty much all the musical chores aside from drums and the odd backing vocal. And from the plodding blues of Bad Mouth and the Sonic Youthy fuzz-punk of Who the F—? to the strummy electro-folk of Shame, it’s clear she’s more than capable of taking care of herself. “Can’t you see my pocket knife?” she menaces. “You can’t make me be a wife.” Gotcha, PJ. Now just untie us, hand us our clothes and we’ll be on our way.
