White Chalk
Encyclopedia
White Chalk is the eighth studio album
by PJ Harvey
, released on 24 September 2007 in the UK, and on 2 October 2007 in the US.
Work on the album started in 2006, with producer Flood and John Parish
, who also worked on her To Bring You My Love
and Is This Desire?
albums. Other collaborators on White Chalk are Eric Drew Feldman
and Jim White
from Dirty Three
.
The first single to be released from White Chalk was "When Under Ether
" on 17 September 2007 on digital download and 7" vinyl. A second single, "The Piano," was released on 26 November 2007. A third, "The Devil," was released on 7", download, and CD formats in March 2008.
and recorded a set of songs for piano, despite her lack of expertise on the instrument. In an interview in The Wire
she explained "the great thing about learning a new instrument from scratch is that it [...] liberates your imagination."
As well as this, she sings in a much higher register than usual, at a pitch outside her normal range.
Lyrically, however, Harvey continues with the dark, moody themes typical of much of her music.
gave the album 5 stars out of 5.
Rolling Stone
gave the single "When Under Ether" 4 out of 5 stars. The album has a score of 80/100 on Metacritic
.
. The UK release is available on CD and 45 rpm vinyl record.
White Chalk is also available on iTunes
complete with a bonus track, "Wait".
with
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
, released on 24 September 2007 in the UK, and on 2 October 2007 in the US.
Work on the album started in 2006, with producer Flood and John Parish
John Parish
John Parish is a British musician and producer best known for his work with singer and songwriter PJ Harvey,. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish.-Partial discography:Solo*Rosie *How Animals Move...
, who also worked on her To Bring You My Love
To Bring You My Love
To Bring You My Love is the third studio album by British musician and singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. It was released by Island Records in February 1995. Recorded after the break-up of the PJ Harvey trio it stands as her first proper solo album...
and Is This Desire?
Is This Desire?
Is This Desire? is a 1998 album by British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey.Recorded on and off in Dorset and London between April 1997 and April 1998, it was co-produced by Flood, Head and Harvey herself, and featured instrumental contributions from Rob Ellis, John Parish, Mick Harvey, Eric Drew...
albums. Other collaborators on White Chalk are Eric Drew Feldman
Eric Drew Feldman
Eric Drew Feldman is an American keyboard and bass guitar player. Feldman has worked with Captain Beefheart, Fear, Snakefinger, The Residents, Pere Ubu, Pixies, dEUS, Katell Keineg, Frank Black, The Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy, Reid Paley, Charlotte Hatherley, Custard, and PJ Harvey.He was...
and Jim White
Jim White (drummer)
Jim White is an Australian drummer . He is the drummer for the Dirty Three, a band formed in Melbourne, but he has also played with a number of other groups, including:*Tren Brothers, consisting of Jim White and Mick Turner, guitarist of the Dirty Three....
from Dirty Three
Dirty Three
Dirty Three are an instrumental trio consisting of Warren Ellis , Mick Turner and Jim White , originating from Melbourne, Australia. Since the Dirty Three formed in 1992, they have spent a lot of time overseas...
.
The first single to be released from White Chalk was "When Under Ether
When Under Ether
"When Under Ether" is a song written by PJ Harvey for her album White Chalk . It was released as the album's first single in September 2007...
" on 17 September 2007 on digital download and 7" vinyl. A second single, "The Piano," was released on 26 November 2007. A third, "The Devil," was released on 7", download, and CD formats in March 2008.
Style
For this album Harvey has moved away from alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and recorded a set of songs for piano, despite her lack of expertise on the instrument. In an interview in The Wire
The Wire (magazine)
The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
she explained "the great thing about learning a new instrument from scratch is that it [...] liberates your imagination."
As well as this, she sings in a much higher register than usual, at a pitch outside her normal range.
Lyrically, however, Harvey continues with the dark, moody themes typical of much of her music.
Reception
The album has received mostly positive reviews. The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
gave the album 5 stars out of 5.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the single "When Under Ether" 4 out of 5 stars. The album has a score of 80/100 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Track listing
All songs written by P J Harvey.- "The Devil" – 2:58
- "Dear Darkness" – 3:10
- "Grow Grow Grow" – 3:23
- "When Under EtherWhen Under Ether"When Under Ether" is a song written by PJ Harvey for her album White Chalk . It was released as the album's first single in September 2007...
" – 2:25 - "White Chalk" – 3:13
- "Broken Harp" – 1:59
- "Silence" – 3:11
- "To Talk to You" – 4:01
- "The Piano" – 2:37
- "Before Departure" – 3:49
- "The Mountain" – 3:11
Formats
The US release is available on CD and 33⅓ rpm LPLP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
. The UK release is available on CD and 45 rpm vinyl record.
White Chalk is also available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
complete with a bonus track, "Wait".
Personnel
- PJ HarveyPJ HarveyPolly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
: vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, zitherZitherThe zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
, bass guitar, keyboards, harmonica, broken harp, cig fiddle. - John ParishJohn ParishJohn Parish is a British musician and producer best known for his work with singer and songwriter PJ Harvey,. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish.-Partial discography:Solo*Rosie *How Animals Move...
: drums, vocals, bass guitar, banjo, acoustic guitar, percussion, wine glass. - Eric Drew FeldmanEric Drew FeldmanEric Drew Feldman is an American keyboard and bass guitar player. Feldman has worked with Captain Beefheart, Fear, Snakefinger, The Residents, Pere Ubu, Pixies, dEUS, Katell Keineg, Frank Black, The Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy, Reid Paley, Charlotte Hatherley, Custard, and PJ Harvey.He was...
: piano, optiganOptiganThe Optigan was an electronic keyboard instrument designed for the consumer market. The name stems from the instrument's reliance on pre-recorded optical soundtracks to reproduce sound...
, vocals, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, keyboards, mini-moog. - Jim WhiteJim White (drummer)Jim White is an Australian drummer . He is the drummer for the Dirty Three, a band formed in Melbourne, but he has also played with a number of other groups, including:*Tren Brothers, consisting of Jim White and Mick Turner, guitarist of the Dirty Three....
: drums, percussion.
with
- Nico Brown: concertina on "Before Departure".
- Andrew Dickson, Bridget Pearse, Martin Brunsden, Nico Brown, Nick Bicât: additional vocals on "Before Departure".
Credits
- Produced & mixed by Flood, John Parish & PJ Harvey
- Engineered by Flood
- Assisted by Catherine Marks & Andrew Savors with additional engineering by PJ Harvey & Ali Chant
- PJ Harvey managed by Paul McGuinness with Sally-Anne McKeown at Principle Management
- All songs published by Hothead Music Ltd. / Universal Music Publishing Ltd.
- Photography by Maria Mochnacz
- Artwork by Rob Crane & Maria Mochnacz
- Dress designed by Maria Mochnacz, PJ Harvey & Annie Mochnacz
- Dress made by Annie Mochnacz
Chart performance
EWLINE
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EWLINE
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External links
- Free album sampler at PJHarvey.net
- White Chalk at Musicbrainz