PJ HARVEY & JOHN PARISH - A Woman A Man Walked By

If 2007's White Chalk was a singularly ghostly study of PJ Harvey's talents, then consider A Woman A Man... a reminder that she possesses a much wider range. The mid-octane swagger of opener "Black Hearted Love" seems to suggest a full-throated return to old Storied days, but Harvey has always been fond of red herrings. And so with Parish's varied skills and tastes guiding the proceedings, what we get is a tour of her many voices--the chilling falsetto, the rich alto croon, the vengeful phoenix. Like their first collaboration together, the underrated Dance Hall At Louse Point, this record reveals itself slowly, strangely, and satisfyingly.