5. PJ HarveyRid Of Me

Rid Of Me is a very personal record for me. I had a teacher show me the title track when I was 13 or 14. She was like, ‘I think you’ll like this song,’ and I did. I really liked it! At the time, though, I didn’t quite understand it. I went home and looked it up on YouTube and I was like, ‘I know I like it but I don’t quite get it,’ but I always remembered it. It’s very striking. I just remember how restrained the guitar was and how continuous the rhythm was the whole way through and some lyrics stood out to me. I felt like I rediscovered it, it was always at the back of my mind, but I didn’t discover and understand it properly until maybe five years ago. Since then, I recorded my own version of it and play it a lot in my live shows. I just feel like it’s part of my life. 

PJ Harvey is one of those artists who just keeps going and doesn’t ever go away. She continues to evolve. This album feels like such a time capsule and it’s one that made an everlasting impression on me. It’s very raw and I think that’s the main thing that appeals to me.