AllMusic

PJ Harvey

Let England Shake

February 15, 2011

Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Since the mid-2000s, many PJ Harvey fans have lamented her disinterest in the electric guitar. But with 2011's Let England Shake, Harvey proved she could create the most powerful music of her career at a low volume. A song cycle rooted in the horrors of war and England's inconsonant history, the song structures (often built around samples and interpolations) are bold, the lyrics are stirringly evocative, and the performances are understated and haunting.

- Mark Deming

J Majik

Slow Motion

August 25, 1997

Jungle/Drum'n'Bass

Drum'n'bass pioneer J Majik followed his instant-classic early 12"s for Metalheadz with an astounding debut album, filled with complex drum patterns and lush, trippy textures. He also dips into downtempo material in the vein of his Innervisions alter ego, with no lapse in quality. Somehow this escaped the attention that Photek's boring debut album received the same year. It's just as technically accomplished, but sounds far more alive.

- Paul Simpson