"We're getting old together, aren't we?" says Polly Harvey, halfway through her solo performance. Blasting through such open-wound songs as Rid of Me and Down By the Water on her guitar, songs she wrote as a younger, more intense woman, Harvey comes across as a charming professional, bringing a sense of theatre to a line like, "I'll make you lick my injuries", now that she would be more likely to get the injury-licker make her a nice cup of camomile tea. It is faultless, but it's also a touch unconvincing.
She shifts to the piano to play songs from her forthcoming album and a greater depth of feeling comes in. It is when she moves away from her most famous material that she comes alive. Nina is an obscure B-side and it is lovely, reminiscent of the Sunday morning music of Nico or Leonard Cohen. Another high point is The Desperate Kingdom of Love, the only track in tonight's concert from her under-rated last album Uh Huh Her. It is representative of a woman in her late 30s, far more self-assured than her old image suggests, and you can hear the authenticity in her voice. Harvey is a true artist, free of the posturing that dominates the alternative pop world. It is nice to think that in the future, she will ditch the hits and free herself up for the road ahead.
