Peel Sessions 1991-2004

Although PJ Harvey has moved far afield musically from the gutsy blend of punky intensity and blues grit that powered her stark debut, DRY, and the equally harsh RID OF ME, the Welsh singer-songwriter always remained fond of that stripped-down sound. On her regular appearances on the late BBC DJ John Peel's show, Harvey always went for a dry, live-in-the-room sound, and so the 12 songs on this set are a testament to the purity of her voice and guitar. Along with familiar tunes like "Water" and "Sheela-Na-Gig," Harvey favors comparative rarities like a sly version of the blues standard "Wang Dang Doodle." This collection also includes the entirety of her October 1991 debut session, which predates her first album by almost a year.