This album is commonly read in two major ways, firstly as a coming out following a dark period. Major fame after Down by the Water, itself a fairly psychotic song. Then a retreat into the low key Is This Desire? Secondly it's seen as the result of a love affair with New York, with the city mentioned throughout the album. Cover and video images reference NY, not to mention the stylistic vocalisms.
Superficially all those things are present, but to me seems like PJ's worked too hard to find a concept to fit her songs, the NYisms are the least appealing aspect of the album, and may possibly be there as a mask to hide behind.
The great thing about SFTCSFTS is the love and lust which powers the music, either sensual ballads or dirty blues licks, with lyrics like 'I'm immortal when I'm with you', and 'I can't believe that the axis turns, on suffering while my head it burns', PJ even brings out Thom Yorke's inner Marvin Gaye for The Mess We're In. For an even better dirtier version of this PJ find the Dec 2000 Peel session, where she really let's rip.
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