Reviewed: PJ Harvey’s Spellbinding ‘Let England Shake,’ Lady Gaga’s Instant-Classic Club Anthem ‘Born This Way’ and More
In this week’s slate of Rolling Stone reviews, Rob Sheffield praises PJ Harvey‘s Let England Shake, noting that listeners need not be up on British history to enjoy her grim, spellbinding songs about England’s history of war and imperialism. According to Will Hermes, Greg Dulli’s new Twilight Singers album Dynamite Steps eclipses his work in soul-grunge band the Afghan Whigs, describing his persona on the record as “part barroom romantic, part serial killer.” Jody Rosen says that Drive-By Truckers’ Go-Go Boots is a “R&B murder” record full of great storytelling and catchy choruses.
On the singles front, Sheffield declares Lady Gaga‘s new single “Born This Way” to be an “instant-classic club anthem,” and Hermes compares Fleet Foxes’ song “Helplessness Blues” to Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash.
ALBUMS
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (stream full album)
Drive-By Truckers – Go-Go Boots (stream full album)
Twilight Singers – Dynamite Steps (stream one song)
Yuck – Yuck (stream full album)
Bright Eyes – The People’s Key (stream full album)
Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (stream full album)
The Dears – Degeneration Street (stream full album)
SINGLES
Lady Gaga “Born This Way” (stream)
Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” (stream)
MNDR “Cut Me Out” (stream)
LAST WEEK: R.E.M. Like ‘Awesome Tribute Band’; Mogwai Keep Nineties Alive