George Ward
Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street.
Alt Rock Legend PJ Harvey returns with the first taste of her new album, ‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’, out on 7th July
The last few years have been quiet for PJ Harvey. Their last album was the Grammy-nominated ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’ back in 2016 and, immediately after that album’s tour, Harvey began doubting her creative passions. After several years of experimentation and collaboration with John Parish and Flood, the result was the upcoming ‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’, an album that promises to be tactile, human and intimate.
The first taste of this project is the new single, ‘A Child’s Question, August’. The track is a slow-moving, thoughtful and poetic meditation paired with stripped back instrumentation. The main driving force of the song is a sinister, plodding drum beat. Guitars are present, but never focused on, rather muddily swelling in the background. The resulting soundscape is hauntingly beautiful and the atmosphere very intriguing.
Considering Harvey’s work as a poet, this poetic direction is not surprising. It will be fascinating to see where ‘August’ fits into the ‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’ as a whole and to see which direction the project will take Harvey’s winding and incredibly impressive career.
‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’ is out on 7th July via Partisan Records.
Watch/Listen to ‘A Child’s Question, August’ here:
