Polly Harvey raises the bar with every record she makes, experimenting with new ideas, redefining herself as she goes. And even with her varied, wide-ranging and wonderful albums being as good as they are, and with expectations always high for her next move, "Stories" rises above it all and wins my vote for the very best rock record of 2000.

The record is an amalgam of Harvey's past musical adventures as well as a vote of confidence from and to herself as an artist and performer. The style is full throttle exotic-rock in the vein of Harvey's stunning debut "Dry," but with aesthetic touches that recall the spooky ambience of "To Bring You My Love." The results are more successful than the brilliant, if sometimes tentative, "Is This Desire?": the opener "Big Exit" hangs on a driving rock guitar part and Rob Ellis's relentless drum pattern, but retains grace and majesty with Harvey's flowing, echoed statement "I'm immortal when I'm with you." The first single, "Good Fortune," reverses the roles, with a more narrative vocal turn countered by chiming guitars, and the gorgeous, statuesque "Beautiful Feeling" sings of travel and love but conjures up a musical equivalent of the peace one might feel while swimming in an intimate, secluded spot, free from the chaos of people and the hectic day-to-day world.

In interviews Harvey has often looked back less-than-wistfully at some of her musical moves, feeling constrained by the three-piece rock of "Dry" and "Rid of Me," and later overblown by the full-bore melodrama of "To Bring You My Love." It's nice, then, to hear a true confidence permeate this record. While not sacrificing the creative edge that sparks her records, Harvey seems more at peace than ever. This isn't saying much, considering we're talking about the author of songs like "Rub Til It Bleeds," but it's still a fresh new outlook, and a welcome one. As good as "Is This Desire" was, it often felt constrained and tentative, as if Harvey was standing at a musical crossroads, not sure if she really wanted to dive completely into electronica or stick with more guitar-based sounds. With each new record Harvey gains confidence, which stirs her on to meld her musical preoccupations into newer and more exciting territory. As proof, "Stories" is the most cohesive PJ Harvey record since "Rid of Me," even with its supposed bipolar structure. City adventure and seaside reflection nourish each other in these songs, creating not tension but cohesion.

And yes, Radiohead fans, I haven't forgotten: Thom Yorke is on two tracks, most audibly as duet vocalist on the somber "This Mess We're In." It's lovely, but don't tape the one track and add it to your Radiohead mix tapes. Buy the whole disc and revel in it. It's that good.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving