News about the upcoming Björk album Volta.

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the amerie album is great!

― lex pretend, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:31 (seventeen years ago) link

A lot better than I was expecting - good Grauniad write-up, Lex, btw.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:37 (seventeen years ago) link

'crush' is so, so amazing. stevie's interview with her was great too. perhaps this should be taken to an actual amerie thread...

― lex pretend, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:41 (seventeen years ago) link

oh ffs.

I was trying to say that people who are tepid were probably expecting a little more than "an enjoyable set of songs" is all. I wasn't criticizing your writing skills.

― fandango, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Many things have happened as a result of Volta...I'm finding myself listening to alot more of Medúlla. Mainly just to compliment it all.

Oh, and I love the boats after Earth Intruders. People listening in though may wonder why they hear it three times a day.

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I can't understand how people think of Medulla as anything like "some nigh-unlistenable concept piece". I'd understand if the album were a full LP sounding like the one track with the piano and the woman barking--but that track was the chink in the albums armor, not the whole damned suit. On the whole, Medulla was far more melodious, far less experimental (and in this case the better for it), and far catchier (see "Where Is the Line," "Triumph of the Heart," "Oceania" et al) than Bjork'd been in the better part of a decade. It's as though people read the hype about "ooh, an all-vocals album, how experimental" and failed to notice that in fact it had great beats, actual hooks, and a relatively pithy pop-record running time.

Anyway--I'm hardly a Bjork apologist. 'Drawing Restraint' has only a couple moments, 'Vespertine' could've been halved and would've been twice as strong. Unfortunately, even the "best" moments of Volta merely provide pale shadows of earlier tracks, and on the whole it feels like a floaty, ponderous mishmash. I'm pretty disappointed, because yeah, a "summer album" full of hot beats and pop hooks could've been just the right next step for Bjork, and all of the great collaborators were underutilised.

― Soundslike, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:21 (seventeen years ago) link

It struck me the other day that the 'boats' after Earth Intruders reminded me an awful lot of the communication between the earth dudes and the spaceship right at the end of Close Encounters, when the earth dudes are playing tones on the big light keyboard and the spaceship is blasting back these big, spacefoghorn rumbles.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:30 (seventeen years ago) link

having not quite yet digested 'medulla', but seeing the potential for something to jump out at me, i don't think i'm quite ready for this new one.

if i ask myself a few tough questions, i'd probably admit that there is always something minor that prevents me from liking all of bjork's records on an uncondtional level. after all these years, i might just think that 'debut' is the best representation of her talents.

― Charlie Howard, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:36 (seventeen years ago) link

I still think Debut is probably my favourite start-to-finish.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:46 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah! and it's a strange thing for me to come to terms with, given how much she's diversified and tried to test the boundaries of her capabilities.

― Charlie Howard, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link

I do listen to Debut the least, I think. Homegenic Live is really getting alot of my attention

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Medulla really works when you get your way around the whole beatboxing thing (which, at first listen, easily sounds like a Police Academy re-run). Liked it alot more than Vespertine. As for Volta, it feels like every new Björk record takes longer to digest. I kinda like it, but it still gets little play time on expense of Orbital and Autechre. Will probably play it in September and love it.

― the Dirt, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Come on then, Volta's had long enough to sink in, someone start a best Bjork album poll. (Not me, I am lazy.)

― ledge, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Volta wouldn't win anyway. It's Homogenic or Debut.

― the Dirt, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:59 (seventeen years ago) link

in order

homogenic
debut
vespertine
volta
post
medúlla

though that's v fluid...it's more like homogenic way out in front, and then the other five pretty much level

― lex pretend, Monday, 14 May 2007 14:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Though I'm glad Volta is what it is. Declare Independence is basically perfect.
Medúlla did produce Triumph of a Heart, Oceania, Mouth's Cradle...I'd rank as up there with her best songs.
Volta has yet to hit me in that way, but I do expect it will.

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 14:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Umm...how on earth could you put "Post" second-to-last?

― brightscreamer, Monday, 14 May 2007 23:56 (seventeen years ago) link

For me

Vespertine
Homogenic
Medulla
Debut
Volta
Post

― admrl, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:02 (seventeen years ago) link

All in fact very close

― admrl, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:03 (seventeen years ago) link

lex pretend's got it right.

― Drooone, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Homogenic
Post
Debut
Medulla
Volta

Vespertine

― Melissa W, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:20 (seventeen years ago) link

hmm...dont get the love for Debut, i'll have to revisit that one.

Homogenic
Vespertine
Post
Volta
Medulla
Debut

― ryan, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 03:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Medulla
Volta
Homogenic
Vespertine
Post

Debut

― Cliftonb, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Can someone help me understand the hatteration on "Post"?

― brightscreamer, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:31 (seventeen years ago) link

i'm big into Debut

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=56027

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link

I can't fathom Melissa hating Vespertine?!

― Scik Mouthy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 06:51 (seventeen years ago) link

there was a massive thread about it!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 06:57 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah? Perhaps when I wasn't around much. What was her reasoning?

― Scik Mouthy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:19 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=1779

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Just heard a few tracks yet, but my impression is positive. It seems like the all the good elements of those hip producers (great use of technology, some interesting beats) are being preserved while the less good elements that they tend to have (too much rap, lack of melodies, exaggerated R&B vocals) are luckily gone for archetypical Björk instead. Which surely makes it a lot better than, for instance, Amerie.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Vespertine had some golden moments, but it almost felt, uh, a little too coherent for my taste. Doesn't have as many outstanding tracks as some of the other albums, and all in all, it's the one I've listened the least to (from the standard studio albums).

Homogenic
Debut
Post
Medulla/ Volta(?)
Drawing Restraint 9
Vespertine
that Dancer in the Dark Soundtrack (great film btw)

― the Dirt, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:05 (seventeen years ago) link

"Homogenic" is still my favourite too. The first two were also obviously good. The rest have been kind of interesting, but the song material hasn't held up quite like in the 90s.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 10:58 (seventeen years ago) link

vespertine
debut
homogenic
post
medulla

volta

― ^@^, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Many great songs aren't on albums....her Gloomy Sunday, her I Go Humble?
And haven't we done many a poll about her best album?
It is clearly homogenic anyway...

― o-ess, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:50 (seventeen years ago) link

I still think Post is better.

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Post is most like Volta in that there are a bunch of her most strong & full songs ever (Hyper-Ballad, Isobel) side by side with a lot of charmingly pleasant trifles (Cover Me, You've Been Flirting Again).

But on the whole, it's never really done it for me (not like Debut anyway!) and it's my least listened of hers, though I do love all of the material live, on the record much of it feels stiff and unrefined, especially compared with what came later.

and like Volta, Post often feels a bit shallower than her best stuff for one reason or another.

― fandango, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:32 (seventeen years ago) link

but really she's pretty consistent over them all, with Debut/Homogenic/Vespertine being the absolute peaks... and Volta being a slightly worrying portent for the future.

― fandango, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:35 (seventeen years ago) link

post should be a total winner on all fronts, but it misses out somehow. still a very, very good album, just curiously lacking in a way i'm not even sure i can put my finger on

― Charlie Howard, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Many great songs aren't on albums....her Gloomy Sunday, her I Go Humble?

'charlene' and 'nature is ancient' and 'sod off'!!!!!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link

and 'my spine'

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link

and GENEROUS PALMSTROKE which may be her best song!!!

― The Brainwasher, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Post does hold up for me, it really just takes patience, cuz it's interlaced with some spacey stuff

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:12 (seventeen years ago) link

"Post is most like Volta in that there are a bunch of her most strong & full songs ever (Hyper-Ballad, Isobel) side by side with a lot of charmingly pleasant trifles (Cover Me, You've Been Flirting Again). "

Funny, for the longest time I would have described Homogenic in exactly the same terms, with basically everything from "All Neon Like" onwards in the second category except "Pluto". I pulled it out a few years ago and suddenly it made perfect sense, with "Immature" in particular undergoing a huge transformation in my head from totally inessential to awe-inspiring.

But I've always thought Post was very consistent. "Cover Me" and "Headphones" are amazing, totally underrated tracks.

― Tim F, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:18 (seventeen years ago) link

'hyperballad' is the one consensus bjork track i don't really get - it's this, more than anything on post, which seems slight! it seems almost like a warm-up for 'the modern things' which mines the same territory to much greater effect. i much much much prefer the brodsky quartet version of 'hyperballad'.

my low ranking of post isn't because it has very many faults, it's just...the other albums set the bar very high!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:21 (seventeen years ago) link

I like that 'the modern things' is also one of her oldest tracks-around since before debut, from what I read. It is what Post is all about for me.

― o-ess, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 18:31 (seventeen years ago) link

four weeks pass...

still think it should have been called 'eglyg'

― Mark G, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 13:23 (sixteen years ago) link

wow lex, you don't like Hyperballad? that's craaaaaazy! you in particular i'm surprised.

so guys i'm just listening to Volta, really haven't listened enuf yet but i think my first reaction is to the sprawling tunes. i wish she would go with the groove of a tune more, instead of letting her vox meander into oblivion. and the duet with antony seems kind of repetitive... more 2 come

i have to say tho, that even though at first Declare Independence seemed i don't know kinda dumb, it progresses into bliss. really, bliss.

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 14:02 (sixteen years ago) link

so OK, on the other hand... lol this is such an On The Other Hand album

at least u can't call this album bad becuz it's cheesy, which is good. if anything, it seems to take the complexity that is bjork, and make it even more complicated. hyper beats, discombobulation and sprawl almost say to me: Okay, this is what I can do, and I'm not gonna pretend otherwise.

she's always been about her abilities, u know? On Medulla, she felt ABLE to do voice, and went with that all the way. i feel like on this, her abilities were very free form, so she went with it. i like having it on, so far.

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 21:16 (sixteen years ago) link

I know a lot of people hate Anthony's voice, and it's certainly very wierd and affected. But for me, I think "The Dull Flame of Desire" is likely to be one of my fave songs for the year. There's really something to the vocal chemistry there. I don't know if I could handle him on his own, though, since I haven't had the opportunity to check his solo stuff out.

― Oilyrags, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 21:30 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah, i really can't stand antony and his johnson. i do like his stuff on volta, though. very nice.

― funny farm, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 21:37 (sixteen years ago) link

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