Björk
http://www.bjork.com

styles: electronica, trip hop
others: Radiohead, Portishead, Massive Attack

Vespertine
Elektra, 2001
rating: 9.2
reviewer: mr p

Four years ago, Björk Gudmundsdóttir released her third album Homogenic; an album that introduced humans to sounds that have never been heard before -- a preview of what the future held for music. Now in 2001, Vespertine is here to pick up the pieces that Homogenic left us craving for. A beautiful, magical, mystical soundtrack, similar to Homogenic, but in a sense, more light-hearted and full of love. Although, this time around, the alien sounds are not as alien as before. It is Björk's production techniques that really takes the music to higher elevations.

Evident on "Cocoon", Björk's voice lacks the familiar reverberation heard on most of her other songs, causing her voice to seem as if she were singing straight into your face. You can hear her take deep sensual breaths in between her intimate lyrics. On "Undo", several voices are panned to the left and right ears, weaving between the normal Björk voice we have become attuned to. And on "Aurora", the main beat of the song sounds like a person walking in snow, while Björk sings a tale of glaciers and such. 

Ever since Debut, Björk has taken advantage of using the studio as an instrument, but never has it been so effectively done. It's the subtleness in the production that really brings forth the creativity and originality that we have come to expect from this Icelandic pixie. Aside from the production, the actual music on Vespertine seem to carry a theatrical quality -- possibly taking a cue from last year's Selmasongs. And the album even flows like a movie, drawing you into Björk's elegant brand of sounds.

Compared to her previous albums, Vespertine retains a fairly constant mood rather than genre hopping. A bulk of the songs are angled toward the familiar love theme with a hint of the surreal lyrics that capsulated her previous works. "An Echo, A Stain" and the 7 minute album closer "Unison" take advantage of the orchestra and clever drumbeat programming that is spread throughout the album. And because of the warm use of strings, the album has an uplifting quality that raises the emotion meter a notch or two. The music definitely has more open space compared to the highly structured sophomore album Post, letting the music tell the story along with the words.

Of all the albums released this year, Vespertine is one of the most impressive and cohesive. An album that caused me to occasionally shake my head and mutter the word "fuck" in amazement. It's not often that an album can really move you the way Vespertine has the potential to do. The only let down is that fact that it didn't puzzle or confuse me the way Homogenic did the first time I heard it. Homogenic was the kind of album that you had to aggressively listen to in order to decipher the complex music, whereas Vespertine is the kind of album that you passively let the music make its way into your body. Either way, the music eventually seeps through, and the fact remains that Björk is a true genius that has created the future of music for the present. If Homogenic was the robot with a brain, then Vespertine is the robot with a heart.

 1. Hidden Place
2. Cocoon
3. It's Not Up to You
4. Undo
5. Pagan Poetry
6. Frosti 
7. Aurora
8. An Echo, a Stain
9. Sun in My Mouth
10. Heirloom
11. Harm of Will
12. Unison

Homogenic 
Elektra, 1997    
rating: 9.5
reviewer: mr p

Bjork is the epitome of musical prodigies. While many musicians are still experimenting to push the envelope of music further, Bjork has shown that they are merely taking baby steps in achieving this goal. Despite her playful, kid-like attitude, Bjork is not just a child playing with her brand new toys. She is a musical genius. Everything from the syncopated percussion to the lyrical beauty of her words has proven Bjork to be one of the leading forces carrying the creative flag to new heights.

After Post, one might have jumped to the premature conclusion that Bjork had released her best album. I mean, how can anyone top such a critically acclaimed album? But this conclusion is akin to saying Rubber Soul represented the Beatles at their prime. An accusation that is certain to lead to debate. Yes, the music on Post was incredibly original and it may seem that their were no more chord progressions left to be heard, but Bjork has once again proved that completely original music can still be created on Homogenic.

Homogenic begins with the painfully beautiful "Hunter." Suffocated beats bounce from speaker to speaker as the song begins to unfold. Layers upon layers of synths are washed throughout the song. The heart of the album pumps with the distorted beats of "All Neon Like." Bjork's lyrical brilliance shines bright on this song when she sings "the cocoon surrounds you, embraces all so you can sleep foetus-style." The closest song on the album to even remotely be considered radio-friendly is called "Alarm Call." This song provides the necessary elements to get "jiggy wit it." Don't worry, though. It's very unlikely that Bjork will follow Mr. Smith's footsteps. The album ends on an optimistic note with the exquisite "All Is Full of Love."

Is Homogenic the start of a new genre in music? No. Is it true that Bjork rhymes with "work?" Yes. Is Bjork the first female Beatle? Um...not quite. The fact is, Bjork has managed to create something so refreshingly unique that trying to categorize and label the music is rather dubious. It is easier to see Homogenic as the backbone for the future of music. Bjork is so far ahead of time, who knows when this backbone can be built on, but at least we have something to look forward to. By the looks of it so far, music has never looked so hopeful.

1. Hunter
2. Joga
3. Unravel
4. Bachelorette
5. All Neon Like
6. 5 Years
7. Immature
8. Alarm Call
9. Pluto
10. All Is Full of Love