Many today believe that journalism is dead. By that I mean real journalism that asks the tough questions and not the stuff we have come accustomed to due to social media. Maybe PJ Harvey is trying to fill that void because on her ninth solo album she has gone full on journalist/activist. The songs on it tackle issues like war and poverty no light pop songs to be found here. Rather the sound is of the blues or folk varieties and the lyrics sounding very much like what folk artists brought to the public in the Sixties. She wages war on the war industry. The lady knows of what she speaks as she spent some time in war torn places like Afghanistan and Kosovo as well as going to Washington, D.C. to see what was going on there. There is no mistaking her intent with songs with titles like “The Ministry of Defence”, “Near the Memorials to Vietnam and Lincoln” and “A Line in the Sand”. Harvey is a musician who is interested in bringing issues to light and challenging us to do something about the unjust or damaging things that are happening around us. A call to action.
PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project
