P.J. Harvey

Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (Island)

A few hundred words in a college newspaper could never do justice to the praise of Polly Jean Harvey, who, after growing up on a sheep farm in Britain, became one of the finest indie musicians of our generation. Nevertheless, this small blurb seems the perfect place to appropriately acknowledge her understated genius. Harvey modestly writes her songs for herself and the fans of great alternative music on both sides of the Atlantic, not for radio stations and big record labels, who could only taint her art through exploitation and commercialization. Quietly, Harvey composed two of the very best albums of the '90s (1995's perfectly cooked To Bring You My Love and 1993's brilliantly raw Rid of Me), and her latest release, Stories From the City, Stories from the Sea, promises to be among the best albums of the new decade.

Stories, which I rank as the best release of the year, draws a picture of P.J. that her fans have never seen. After suffering a nervous breakdown in 1992, Harvey coped through her art, expressing a bitter, beautiful blend of anger and resignation, but not without an ever-present glimmer of hopeful longing. This album suggests she may have temporarily found what she has been looking for: a little happiness and some genuine love. Her vocals seem more relaxed, her guitar a bit less austere and the tunes somewhat more welcoming. On "Big Exit," Harvey meditates on human suffering, but concludes with "I'm immortal when I'm with you." Radiohead's Thom Yorke accompanies her vocals on the flowing duet "This Mess We're In," a sweetly sexual exchange. Finally, Stories ends with "We Float," possibly the most elegant ballad she has ever written. With P.J. Harvey, you never know when her happiness will give in to dissatisfaction, but you do know this album will remind her-and us-of how love used to feel. A -Christopher R. Blazejewski

Marilyn Manson

Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)

(Nothing/Interscope)

It's all too tempting to bash Marilyn Manson and his band solely for their dated Goth-posing and irritating theatrics. And while these qualities are as conspicuous as ever in Holy Wood (the final stage of the Antichrist Superstar/Mechanical Animals triptych), the quality of the music mostly compensates for its unabashed gloom. Despite its tired references to death, hell and maggots, "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death" is a haunting and effective acoustic number, and dirge-like opener "Godeatgod" shows surprising restraint. It's obvious that great care was taken in constructing the songs on Holy Wood; guitars chugging over suggestive ambience often peel away to reveal acoustic strumming, fragile piano and yes, pulsing synths. Manson could be accused of borrowing a little too much from Trent Reznor, but at least the formula works.

After repeated listenings, however, it becomes apparent that while an undeniably solid album, Holy Wood is far too reminiscent of Antichrist Superstar. This is especially obvious in the syncopated, headbanger beat of current single "Disposable Teens," a near mirror-image of "The Beautiful People." Rather than reinvent his band a third time, Manson has instead chosen to tweak and polish that former album's brand of Gothic-flavored industrial riffage. Holy Wood's ultimate downfall is its refusal to take risks; as such, it's an anticlimactic conclusion to an interesting cycle. B- -Ryan Kuo

Everclear

Songs From an American Movie Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude (Capitol)

It's a move that probably caused both record company executives and jaded alt-rock skeptics to shake their heads. The quick release of the second installment of Everclear's album series keeps those executives busy before they can finish wringing the cash out of Songs From An American Movie Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile, while the very hint of a concept album (imaginary film soundtrack and all) reeks of pretentious art-rock stabs at achieving something "higher." But for fans, Good Time for a Bad Attitude offers 12 fine songs to soak up, it represents Everclear in rare form-cynical as ever without losing any power or momentum, abrasive as hell but still undeniably catchy.

There's no chance of mistaking this record for its decidedly happier counterpart, as the snarling guitar barrage of "When It All Goes Wrong Again" and the fervent punk of "All Fucked Up" stand in total contrast to the tinkling notes that opened Learning How To Smile. While that first volume was a sweet and eclectic (and perhaps corny) manifestation of Art Alexakis' nostalgia, its successor rips those dreamy sentiments to pieces without even bothering to pause for breath. From its bitter opening to its bittersweet conclusion, the distorted fuzz-guitars scarcely let up, striking and churning in sullen anger, often in direct competition with Alexakis' voice.

Written in the wake of his failed marriage, Alexakis' pain can be felt throughout the album, in such lines as "My heart is racing and/I am losing my mind/Sometimes I feel like my life is/on a slide." His ability to craft witty verses and infectious choruses remains intact, making this record unmistakeably Everclear. Likewise, subtle touches such as the delicate strings that end "Overwhelming" and the surprising ascent of the dark instrumental "Halloween Americana" into a poignantly melodic finish set this apart as Everclear's most mature and accomplished album. B+ -Ryan Kuo

Ensimismada

X&O

The band Ensimismada take their name from the Spanish word "ensimismar," which means both "to become absorbed in thought" and "to be proud, be boastful." Their new release X&O, however, is not boastful in any way: instead, it's crisp, compact and cleverly constructed.

Ensimismada features Julia Jarcho '03, Harry Kimball '03 and Zeke Reich '03, along with Stanford sophomore Michael Frank. The band, then named Quill, was formed during the members' high school days in New York City in the summer of 1997. X&O is the third album released by Ensimismada, following 1998's Dam! A Semi-Sin, and 1999's self-titled Ensimismada EP. At just under 15 minutes of music, X&O is pleasing to the ear, combining a steady drum/bass/guitar sound with the vocals of Frank, Kimball and Jarcho. In general, the lyrics flow together well: while some appear more meaningful than others, most have a playful, conversational tone as opposed to any deep emotional pathos.

The catchy title track, which opens the album, features the great chorus "And I've begun to hate the ceiling like I never loved the sky." The second track, "Taunt," a high-speed tune with only a few words, is more of a playful number. The epic "Daughter of the American Revolution" rounds off the album's quartet of songs. Throughout the album, Ensimismada remain listenable, without the off-the-wall sounds or unintelligible lyrics that affect too many student bands. B+ -Erik A. Beach