Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
by PJ Harvey
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Oct 24, 2000
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 118 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 105 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 118
  3. Negative: 5 out of 118

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  1. ofan
    Feb 10, 2005
    10
    just like a script for a movie, great story in it
  2. JamesB.
    Aug 8, 2008
    10
    Amazing! There's something new at every listen... can't say that about many CD's or artists. One for the ages!
  3. LuizCC
    Sep 25, 2012
    10
    PJ Harvey's most famous album as well as her most acclaimed, this record shows the aging Polly trying to feel her love in the city ambient. And so she does, and it's a beauty. More pop than ever, she managed to make herself commercial regardless not being a sell-out artist. The songwriting is as bold as ever, and the dark sounds of both 'To Bring You My Love' and 'Is This Desire?' remainsPJ Harvey's most famous album as well as her most acclaimed, this record shows the aging Polly trying to feel her love in the city ambient. And so she does, and it's a beauty. More pop than ever, she managed to make herself commercial regardless not being a sell-out artist. The songwriting is as bold as ever, and the dark sounds of both 'To Bring You My Love' and 'Is This Desire?' remains knocking our ears, but the tones of happiness subdue it. One of the best album of the 00's.… Expand
  4. CharlieGray
    May 30, 2016
    10
    This album is just too amazing, it's beautiful and furious at the same time, probably my favourite record from miss PJ Harvey, which is a great artist.
  5. freewheel
    Mar 25, 2014
    10
    My favorite album by PJ, and possibly my favorite album by anyone.

    (150 character limit makes Metacritic kind of the opposite of Twitter, it encourages long-windedness.)
  6. joseRVR
    Sep 19, 2017
    10
    The perfect modern rock album. Everybody should listen to Polly Jean Harvey's mainstream masterpiece. From its explosive opener "Big Exit" to the entrancing closing track "We Float", the record offers a wonderful collection of songs in which Harvey sings about risk, fear, love, sex, hope, and deceivement. The music sounds polished, urgent and urban. Best tracks: "Big Exit", "Good Fortune",The perfect modern rock album. Everybody should listen to Polly Jean Harvey's mainstream masterpiece. From its explosive opener "Big Exit" to the entrancing closing track "We Float", the record offers a wonderful collection of songs in which Harvey sings about risk, fear, love, sex, hope, and deceivement. The music sounds polished, urgent and urban. Best tracks: "Big Exit", "Good Fortune", "You Said Something", "This Is Love", "Horses In My Dreams", "We Float".… Expand
  7. JonH.
    Jun 2, 2004
    10
    This is a beautiful work that only gets better as the years go by, it's turn into my favorite album of hers.
  8. fgghdddf
    Jul 2, 2004
    10
    This is just a greatest record ever made!
  9. PaulT
    Dec 19, 2003
    9
    Spectacularly written and constructed...one of her best formed albums
  10. SusannahM
    May 16, 2004
    10
    PJ is amazing. This is her best work. I can't stop playing this CD.
  11. matan
    Sep 2, 2005
    9
    great album
  12. kurt
    Aug 8, 2007
    9
    I always wonder if someone at pitchfork writes an obviously and extremely incorrect review, such as this one, if they fire the guy. I hope they do.
  13. Brock
    Jul 20, 2004
    9
    The Whores Hustle... is one of the greatest songs of all time on one of the greatest albums of all time. When she rears back and hurls those yowls from somewhere deep, I dare you not to get misty eyed. Gorgeous.
  14. wangl
    Jan 13, 2005
    10
    She bangs!
  15. ScottM
    Feb 18, 2006
    9
    Horses in My Dreams is utterly amazing.
  16. PerspicaciousCritic
    Jul 23, 2007
    9
    Dear Pitchfork: Regarding your review, I have just three words: wrong, wrong, wrong.
  17. Manuela
    Mar 17, 2002
    10
    Fuckin amazing record! The songs will stick with you all day. One of the greatest artist alive!
  18. AlbertoM
    Aug 16, 2005
    10
    Another demolishing excuse to love PJ Harvey...
  19. RobB
    Sep 25, 2007
    8
    For me, this is her best record. It's probably the most accessible but for me that's part of its success. Her other work was too often art rock in the worst performance art sense but this record, channeling the best of that genre (i.e Pattis Smith) and adding real tunes, is a bit of a triumph. 8!
  20. Ricko
    Sep 4, 2017
    9
    Really powerful stuff from the Indie Queen and even after the monumental "Let England Shake", I still rank this as her greatest work. Well over a decade old now, it sounds as fresh as ever and retains everything that made it such a great album at the time of release. Every track holds its own, justifying it's inclusion on this beast. Everything comes together, the lyrics, music, productionReally powerful stuff from the Indie Queen and even after the monumental "Let England Shake", I still rank this as her greatest work. Well over a decade old now, it sounds as fresh as ever and retains everything that made it such a great album at the time of release. Every track holds its own, justifying it's inclusion on this beast. Everything comes together, the lyrics, music, production are all consistantly top class from beginning to end. Radioheads Thom Yorke guests on a couple of tracks and elevates the whole thing to another level, complimenting Harvey's vocals in such a way that you feel the two voices were made for each other. "The Whores Hustle and The Hustlers Whore" is at the centre of the record and is an epic piece of work, turned up it's the equivalent of a wrecking ball. This is dark stuff but an indie rock masterpiece.… Expand
  21. ScarTissue1990
    Jun 25, 2014
    10
    Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is intense, sexy, honest and absolutely chilling. One of the best albums of PJ Harvey's never disappointing career. Brilliant.
  22. carlosanderson
    Feb 13, 2013
    9
    Pj Harvey ha demostrado de nuevo porque es la diosa de rock contemporáneo. Tal álbum aparenta carecer de profundidad comparado con los anteriores, pero tal suceso es solo glacial. Se nota que Polly la esta pasando bien, pero sin olvidar sus raíces. Y quien dijo que en la trivialidad no era interesante?
  23. MetaLunch
    Aug 12, 2016
    10
    As fresh in 2016 as it was when released 15(!) years ago. Beautiful lyrics, the raw power from her earlier material plus the restraint and beauty of the maturing PJ. A++++
  24. Kijhy
    Apr 23, 2021
    9
    94/100
    really good album. my fav songs are: a place called home and this mess we re in

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Album of 2000
21
#21 Most Discussed Album of 2000
18
#18 Most Shared Album of 2000

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Armchair DJ
    90
    This back-to-basics approach gives dynamic focus to Harvey's lyrics, which tantalize with their taut, elliptical precision.
    Read full review
  2. Pitchfork
    55
    On her fifth solo release, Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, she may be maturing, or more vulnerable, or more vulnerable to her maturity. But regardless, the sheen gets slicker and her music gets duller as the time passes.
    Read full review
  3. L.A. Weekly
    90
    A beautiful album that even non-Harvey fans might relate to, Stories is an undeniable, unrelenting triumph.
    Read full review
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