PJ Harvey has spent the last seven years running away from the mainstream recognition she won with 2002’s Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea - a lush, accessible album that won her a Mercury Music Prize and a support slot on U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind world tour.

New album White Chalk is the ultimate expression of that shift into more challenging territory. It’s a chillingly sparse record, Harvey’s high-tension wire melodies stretched thinly over minimalist piano.

The album has had great reviews across the board… but, be warned, it sounds like the work of an unraveling mind, nowhere more so than on single When Under Ether, the video for which you can watch here.

Meanwhile, you can preview the entire album here. Don’t expect any belly laughs.

[Myspace]