Each of Harvey's previous albums has been a distinct affair as she took steps forward in not only forging her sound but also exploring the wealthy veins of rock & roll. So on first listen, Is This Desire? almost disappoints; it's very close to the same dark, woozy, and bluesy musical territory she staked out on To Bring You My Love. But it's been said that though good stories can be read once, great stories must be read twice, and, like great literature, this album deserves repeated listenings to appreciate its beautiful complexities and subtle shadings. A recommendation: Spend a few nonstop hours with Is This Desire? It will change you.

About Pearly Drops:
A music duo based in Helsinki, Finland, crafting eerily haunting pop dirges; Pearly Drops feature Sandra Tervonen and Juuso Malin. With concise and sparse compositional methods, ethereal vocal performances underlined by dreamy, precise synths and percussion, Pearly Drops are in the process of weaving - something made for keeping the hope inside and the unmeaningful at bay.

The enigmatic Chelsea Wolfe has announced details of a new album, ‘Hiss Spun’. Recorded at God City Studios by Converge guitarist, Kurt Ballou, ‘Hiss Spun’ will be released on September 22 via Sargent House.
The new record was produced by Coverge's Kurt Ballou and features additional guitar work by Queens of the Stone Age's Troy Van Leeuwen.
"I'm at odds with myself," Wolfe explains. "I got tired of trying to disappear. The record became very personal in that way. I wanted to open up more, but also create my own reality."
Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age, Failure) and Aaron Turner (Old Man Gloom, SUMAC) both contribute to the record.
In support of the latest material, Wolfe has also announced an upcoming North American tour. It includes Canadian stops in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

'Illusion Of Choice' marks the end of the first era for Public Memory. It is comprised of three previously unreleased songs which date from as far back as the 2015 sessions for 'Wuthering Drum' up through summer 2019.
"Ledge Of Ash" is a sparse, low BPM nighttime soliloquy with spring reverb vox, PM's signature tape-delayed MS-20, a foggy piano loop and minimal drum machine. "The Maze" finds us somewhere between 2018's 'Demolition' and a b-side from 'Amok' (Atoms For Peace) where a scheming bass guitar, melting square wave synths and disjointed percussion create a spiraling labyrinth. This is also Toher's best vocal performance to date. "Before I Forget" is built on a marching drum loop with a mood that reads like a eulogy. Toher's vocal is more intimate than ever, lamenting the memory of a loved one, he sings "I passed by and you are gone now / was longing for a friend / your face in the carnival lights / could I have sent you running down."
According to Public Memory, this EP is the final installment in a series of four releases ('Illusion of Choice', 'Demolition,' 'Veil of Counsel,' 'Wuthering Drum') by the producer before shifting gears and exploring new territories - taking his brand of emotive electronic music, imbued with bowing synths, haunted vocals and dubby percussion into its next era.
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Chelsea Wolfe has always been a conduit for a powerful energy, and while she has demonstrated a capacity to channel that somber beauty into a variety of forms, her gift as a songwriter is never more apparent than when she strips her songs down to a few key components. As a result, her solemn majesty and ominous elegance are more potent than ever on new album Birth of Violence.
There is a core element to Chelsea Wolfe’s music—a kind of urgent spin on America’s desolation blues—that has been present throughout her career. “I’ve been in a state of constant motion for the past eight years or so; touring, moving, playing new stages, exploring new places and meeting new people—an incredible time of learning and growing as a musician and performer,” Wolfe says of the era leading up to Birth of Violence. “But after a while, I was beginning to lose a part of myself. I needed to take some time away from the road to get my head straight, to learn to take better care of myself, and to write and record as much as I can while I have ‘Mercury in my hands,’ as a wise friend put it.“
Birth of Violence is the result of this step out of the limelight. The songs stem from humble beginnings—little more than Wolfe’s voice and her Taylor acoustic guitar. Her longtime musical collaborator Ben Chisholm recorded the songs on a makeshift studio and helped fill them out with his modern production treatments and the occasional auxiliary flourish from ongoing contributors Jess Gowrie (drums) and Ezra Buchla (viola).
“These songs came to me in a whirlwind and I knew I needed to record them soon, and also really needed a break from the road,” Wolfe says. “I’ve spent the past few years looking for the feeling of home; looking for places that felt like home. The result of that humble approach yields Wolfe’s most devastating work to date.

Polly Jean "PJ" Harvey MBE is an English musician and singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automatic Dlamini as a vocalist, guitarist and saxophone player.