PJ Harvey: White Chalk (Island)
Barney Hoskyns, Uncut, October 2007
IN THE AGE of Amy Winehouse it's worth remembering the shock that was Polly Jean Harvey when she blasted out of the West Country 15 years ago like some ectomorphic tomboy Nick Cave. (What kind of fuckery was 'Sheela-na-Gig'? I'm still not sure.) If Winehouse can sustain her career and credibility for as long as Harvey has - and do it with so many riveting twists and turns - she'll be doing very well indeed.
Total word count of piece: 490