Like the single 'A Perfect Day Elise', the new PJ Harvey album is a transcendental piece of alternative music culture. Harvey has an ability to attract - making her music disarming and addictive: the voice of love; hate; pain; joy and everything in between, sailing on a sea of guitar simplicity - sometimes fast, sometimes slow - but always a pleasure to the ears.

"Is This Desire" is vintage Harvey but it's also different to her four previous albums. While she's known for her wailing and chugging guitars ('50-foot Queenie'), here she sings loudly but sweet some of the time and softly, softly for most of the album. First track 'Angelene' shows Harvey's most beautiful singing voice and even the roughest and most messed-up sounds on this album are instantly loveable. If you're getting into PJ Harvey for the first time then this is the album to buy.