[2] Recorded during March to April 2000, it contains themes of love that are tied into Harvey's affection for New York City.

Upon its release, the album received acclaim from most music critics and earned Harvey several accolades, including the 2001 Mercury Prize.

It spent 17 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, and has been certified Platinum in the United Kingdom and Australia.

[6][7][8] In 1998, while shooting a film as an actress for Hal Hartley in New York, she felt inspired by the city and wrote several songs.

She said: "I'd long been interested in the idea of somebody else singing a whole song on a record of mine, to have a very different dimension brought in by somebody else's voice.

I want this album to sing and fly and be full of reverb and lush layers of melody.

"[11] Pitchfork compared her voice on the lead single "Good Fortune" to that of the Pretenders's Chrissie Hynde,[12] while the Los Angeles Times observed: "Her singing often recalls Patti Smith and Siouxsie Sioux, artists who, like Harvey, project a sexuality derived from—yet never bound by—rock's male sensibilities.

"[13] The album was released on 24 October 2000, and promoted with a video for the lead single "Good Fortune", shot at night in streets of London.

Spencer Owen of Pitchfork viewed the album as lacking in distinction, saying "the sheen gets slicker and her music gets duller".

[29] The album earned Harvey Brit Award nominations as Best British Female Artist for two years running, as well as two Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Female Rock Performance for the single "This Is Love".

Harvey was in Washington, D.C., on that day and witnessed the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon from her hotel room window.

"[31] The win made Harvey the first female solo artist to receive the Mercury Prize in the award's history.

[41] All tracks are written by PJ Harvey.All personnel credits adapted from the album's liner notes.