PJ Harvey @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 4 September

Given the conceptual character of PJ Harvey’s latest LP Let England Shake, and her decision to play the Royal Concert Hall, it could be expected that the set-up for this tour would focus on bringing out the nuances of the record. Visually, Harvey’s outfit – gothic-peasant robes and extravagant black headdress – suggests a determination to emphasise its historical theatricality in every aspect of the show. 

Yet the stripped-down, rock-centred approach, featuring a band of three along with Harvey on guitar and autoharp, defies concert-hall convention: the sound reveals hard edges to the new songs, only hinted at in their recorded incarnations. Consequently, there is an unexpected pace and intensity to the album’s dreamier pieces, All and Everyone and The Glorious Land. 

When things are slowed down, it’s for the older material: The Devil, Down by the Water and Angelene standing out in a setlist that flits across Harvey’s diverse repertoire. Despite Let England Shake’s distinct thematic focus, it’s a show that deftly marries new songs and old with no sense of incongruity. Ultimately, tonight emphasises the continuities that underpin Harvey’s restlessly shifting career: these are songs united by the clarity and intensity with which she approaches all of her subject matter.