Customer Reviews

Medulla

5 star:		(180)
4 star:		(73)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(27)
1 star:		(45)

 

 

Ever heard of mouth music? It's a traditional technique for producing music with nothing except rhythmic vocals -- literally, just music from the mouth. Quirky Icelandic Bjork isn't a Celt, but she takes the term "mouth music to new heights in the enchantingly challenging "Medulla," an album whose music is based on the voice.

Bjork embarks on her strangest and most experimental musical journey here. Not just one kind of song, but many -- majestic medieval-flavored music to pop to hymns to an eerie vocal ballad backed by throat singing. Bjork even beatboxes with a choir behind her, giving a sort of classical hip-hop sound to the music. Can't get that just anywhere.

"Medulla" isn't entirely devoid of instrumentation... the non-vocal variety, that is. There's a pretty piano solo to "Ancestors," and the deep bassline of "Submarine." Keyboards pop up occasionally But those are the exception -- most of the time it's Bjork's soft vocals, singing, grunting, whistles, and various gutteral sounds -- sort of a dolphin-on-acid noise. It's wonderfully weird.

After the pretty but vaguely monotonous "Vespertine," Bjork just bursts out with her new sound. What's strangest is the effect it has when one is listening to it -- it's powerful and visceral, lulling you one moment and making you shiver the next. At times it's unnerving -- the grunts range from sexy to ghastly, and are enough to make you squirm -- but it never fails to provoke a response.

"Medulla" isn't a full departure from her past material. The opening number has echoes of "Vespertine," while "Where is the Line" hints at "Homogenic." But the heart and soul of "Medulla" rests in an entirely new zone, far away from the icy grandeur of her past trip-hop. This is a darker, thicker sound, backed by Robert Wyatt's odd vocals and a choir.

Bjork proves again that she is an artist in every sense of the word -- she doesn't just make wonderful music, but she explores into new and thrilling musical arenas. Revolutionary, sultry, and a jolt to the system.

I was in a funk all day after listening to this album for the first time. Being a Bjork fan (almost verging on obsessive) for over 11 years, to say that I anticipated Bjork's next release is an understatement.

I can tell that I am not going to be popular given all of the 5-star reviews already posted but can see that I am not entirely alone in being utterly disappointed. Bjork is truly one of my favorite artists but I am not so enamored by her that I will convince myself to like something that I don't just because she is the one who created it.

Most of the tracks would be listenable were it not for the hyperventilating, moans, cries, and wails that make some tracks almost laughable. In fact, some of them I did laugh (especially the track Ancestors!), thinking to myself "You've got to be kidding me!". Although some songs have stuck in my head and provide a glimpse of the "old" Bjork in all of her glory, I was hoping for an album that I couldn't wait to listen to over and over again, that would satiate me for the years of wait until her next album. I did not find this in Medulla.

She has said that she felt cleansed after completing this album and I sure hope she got it all out of her system because if the next album is like this one, I don't know what I'll do.....

I heart bjork. some of the songs creep me out but that's awesome.

before i say the unpositive things i am about to say about this album, let me say that i really like most of bjork's music. she has been tickling my ears with the most unusual yet listenable pop since her first albums with the sugarcubes, and while i have come to expect something different from each subsequent effort, i could always count on being seduced each time. which is why i was so disappointed with "medulla". i know. she's being an artist. she's pushing the envelope. she's broadening my tastes. no, she was just trying my patience. track after track of waiting for the song to get good, but having to skip forward out of shear aural irritation. i'm sure there are people for whom this album will be just the sort of thing they've been longing for, but for me it will probably be the last bjork album i buy without listening first.

Björk's "Medulla" is the most challenging and rewarding listening experience I've encountered in an album. Don't be put off by the naysayers...all you need are your ears, a sense of humor (because truly, some of the album tracks like "Triumph Of the Heart" are *meant* to be fun and silly), and an open mind. Standouts -- although there are truly too many gorgeous and suprising moments to list -- are the lush opener "The Pleasure Is All Mine", the spooky, surreal "Submarine" and the amazing "Mouth's Cradle." And "Ancestors", surely the track to cause the most conversation, is the one track I can't get out of my mind -- yes, it's noisy, ugly, strange, and truly otherworldly. But it's also profoundly moving and beautiful. Few artists in any genre of music can claim to be truly original and brave. Love it or hate it, "Medulla" will stay with you. It's an inspiring, thrilling album by an amazing artist.

This is the sound Bjork has been leading us to since her debut album "Debut". Challenging? Difficult? Down-right Bizarre? Yes. Rewarding? Absolutely. Layers upon layers of voices, some beautiful, some other-wordly, some almost scary, used in all manners of ways. NO ONE TODAY IS MAKING MUSIC LIKE THIS. Bjork is a genius, and is never afraid to go places others will not ( or cannot ) go with their music. She knows no limits. Most artists of her caliber start off strange, and slowly work their way toward the mainstream. Bjork, God bless her, is doing just the opposite. Her music continues to get weirder and weirder. But not just for "weirdness" sake , and it is still highly listenable, enjoyable, and illuminating. I have listened to this cd 4 times all the way through, but only in my truck on the way home from the retail outlet I bought it from and in my computer on my desk. It sounds great, but I CAN'T WAIT to get this cd home and listen to it on earphones. I am sure it will open itself up, and will reveal much more to me as I delve deeper into the rich tapestry of sound. ( A side note to the young man at Best Buy who tried to convince me the $ 19.99 "special edition" of this cd includes the dvd of the making of Medulla - it DOESN'T, you idiot , it's only got a poster in it.THAT'S why I opened it and left it in the bin and bought the $11.99 regular version instead.)

If you had guessed that I would make the argument I mentioned in the title of my review, you were completely right. As a very young music fan (not yet out of my teens), some might be quick to dismiss my opinion. After all, I'm a supple young branch that bends in the wind, right? A childish upshoot that goes for the newest, coolest thing? Well, that may be.

However, ever since music and I really hit it off back in 93' (I was eight and couldn't get enough of Pearl Jam, Zeppelin, and Floyd), I have slowly lost interest in very many musical forms and fashions. Rock regularly regurgitates what it has already done thousands of times during the last year, although occasionally artists like Beck or Radiohead really break the mold and push into new territory. Pop has become a complete cess pool of hip hop or uninspired ballads, despite brilliance from the likes of Outcast, Black Eyed Peas, and the aforementioned Beck. Most other forms of music are so out of the mainstream that it is difficult to afford the passion for them. However, Bjork has always been my solace. At first glance her music seems to be a mere confluence of every imaginable musical style, but had the quality of immediate freshness. Like coming home to a house drowning in Febreeze, you could simply inhale Bjork.

This was always a source of wonder for me. Of course I had always loved Bjork's voice, but have difficulty now believing that I did not realize at that time what I now know. Although the music itself was inventive to no end, it was always Bjork's voice that truly set her apart. When Scott Weiland growls, I roll my eyes at the skinny goon. Yet a growl from Bjork could restart the nuclear reactions in the heart of a dead star. A recipe for an album only requires Bjork and the gutteral explosions of Rahzel or the willowy croon of Robert Wyatt. You don't NEED instuments with any combination of these three remarkable artists, and thankfully, "Medulla" does not use any.

"Where is the Line" is a particularly outstanding example of the sheer versatility of the human voice, with Rahzel laying out a schizophrenic rhythm and Bjork hovering just above the surface. There are no power chords, snare drums, or vocoders to distance the listener from pure human expression. The minor computer modification on other songs, such as "Mouth's Cradle" and possibly "Oceania", always adds subtly, and never overtly.

For the guitar weary, the studio weary, and the art hungry, Bjork has created more than the album. Coming from a teen like me, it may not mean much, but she has created what is to me as precious as the Gregorian chants or Handel's Messiah in capturing the human voice at it's best.

This CD is Bjork's most avant garde aurual journey to date. The best way to describe it is to compare it to her previous album 'Vespertine' since that is a stepping stone to this album.

New fans be warned, if you haven't heard Bjork before this might be a bad place to start checking her out but current fans, put your seatbelts on.

The bulk of this cd is very acapella like and the songs rely strongly on chorus that is sometimes interwoven into the actual song itself. Beats are at a minimal either volume wise or composition wise. Although the rich samples Bjork is infamous for are here. All those complex bass samples fill virtually every track but they're very laid back and mellow, compared with her previous albums.

Track by track review:
1. Pleaseure is all Mine - The song starts with a chorus (all Bjork) and quickly she starts singing. The song has a soft and slow feel and some soft bass sneaks it's way into the song. The beat is actually composed of vocal samples altered through a synthesizer so they sound proper. A men's chorus works it's way into the song later on and this song comes off very nicely with emotion.

2. Show me Forgiveness - This track is totally acapella, nothing but Bjork's voice with a soft echo. She actually does a nice job and Bjork's singing has improved over the years and it is to the point where she can carry a song with only her voice.

3. Where is the Line - This is the first full blown song on the album and it's very avant garde innovative. There is this bizarre but catching bass hit that sounds like it was composed from a guy's voice. A spooky chorus pops in and overall this song has an evil frientening sound to it that I enjoy. One of my personal favorites from this album.

4. Vokuro - Another acapella track here. It's just Bjork singing in her native tongue but this time she's accomponied with a haunting chorus. The track comes off very nicely and even if you don't understand her language, you will still enjoy this track.

5. Oll Birtan - Yet again another acapella track. This time it's 3 layers of bjork singing and it's hard to focus in on any specific track to figure out what she's saying. I didn't like this track but it's a nice short 1:55 so you don't have to deal with it for long.

6. Who is it - another full blown song (how few there are on this album). As always a slow intro and after half a minute some spooky synths work their way in and quickly some soft but chaotic breakbeat type beats come in. Some interesting note changes occur in here with the melody. I do like this track although it's just a step below 'Where is the Line'.

7. Oceania - starts out with a male humming and more males come in and start to sing. They actually go on to sing the song and it sounds as if Bjork is in there hiding with them. Eventually she does sing in the song. Yet again another acapella as it's purely voices.

8. Submarine - Another full blown song, this song has a sexy beat with some rich bass samples that sound as if they are reworked vocal sounds. The chorus takes some real interesting "ahhhhh" up and down the note scale. The singing is pretty simple here, no crazy choruses like some Bjork songs and she only belches a couple notes. Overall I like this track as it's interesting.

9. Sonnet / Unrealitiies IX - Starts with a chord sample that loops with a lot of clicks and pops. I don't know if this was intenional or not as some other groups (Postal Service) have released a song that did this also. There's never a beat per say but later on some bass sneaks in now and then with the chord. I like this track as it's a minimal piece of work.

10. Desired Constellation - Another acapella track with just Bjork and a chorus. Honestly by this time in the album I've gotten a little tired of beat-less songs with the only melody coming from the chorus or Bjork. It's a well made track, but I think Bjork is overdueing this new style she's playing with.

11. Ancestors - some sad piano work with a vocal sample that sounds like weeping in reverse. It's actually a nice track until half way through when some bizarre breathing sample like a tortured animal kicks in, it changes but stays throughout the entire song, pretty much ruining it.

12. Mouth's Cradle - this song possibly sums up this album all together. Bjork with a chorus and some good bass work, yet again vocal inspired. You'll be surprised how many of the samples are actually from somebody's mouth but manipulated to form a beat.

13. Mivikudags - Yet again a song with 2 or 3 layers of Bjork singing making it hard to focus on what she's saying, if she's even singing english. This track is better than her earlier attempt of this. There is a bit of bassy noise in the background this time.

14. Trimph of the Heart - the most bizarre but my favorite track from this album. There is some really wierd beat boxing (making beats from the mouth) and this track has almost a hip hop feel to it. It actualy an interesting track even though it's also very wierd.

Overall I'd say Bjork really went off the deep end for this album. I think this will be a love it or hate it album, there is no middle ground. If you really liked 'Vespertine' then I think you will like this album as it takes 'Vespertine' to the extreme. If you disliked that album, I think you will absolutely hate this album.

As usual, Bjork has done something totally new with this album. Rather than following the current "favourite sound" she just does what she wants.
Because it is so unlike anything you will have heard before you may find that you do not like Medulla at first. The sound is so unfamiliar, so complex, that it takes a few listens before you can really get it.
You will definitely be awestruck whether or not you like it. some of the sounds on this album are amazing... they don't seem like sounds that real people could make. Rahzel's beat on 'where is the line' for example, is really astounding. if you're interested in exploring what the human voice can do, take a look at medulla.
The main failing of this album is that it is too complex in places. Bjork layers five tracks at once and trying to follow the melody can become quite difficult, and the overall sound is a bit messy. however, in more simple parts with perhaps two or three layers, the sound is really interesting.
The album is great but is likely to be off-putting in some parts due to the fact taht it's the first album of its kind, but if you give it the time to explore the sounds i'm sure you'll like it.
A must for a fan of vespertine or homogenic.
if you don't know any bjork, start off with something like Post or DEbut.

Pleasure Is All Mine [10/10]: A beautiful and understated way to start the album. Medulla's principal performers - Tagaq, Rahzel, The Icelandic Choir, Mike Patton, and of course, Bjork - are quietly introduced in a tightly formed song with a dark, highly sensual tone. Never one to take the easy route, Bjork injects three breaks of varying length in the track - beginning, middle, and end - featuring some great vocal layering between her and Tagaq (who's breathing works really well here). This track is strong on it's own, without these interludes, but Bjork's re-structuring demonstrates why she has continued to produce such fresh and inspiring work. PIAM is second only to Vespertine's "An Echo, A Stain" as the sexiest song she's made, in my opinion. The lyrics are quite inspirational as well. It's fascinating the way she can make a song that is dark, warm, cool, sexual, romantic, and nurturing all at once. This track perfectly captures the essence of the album - it truly does sound like it's made of a black ink-like liquid.

Show Me Forgiveness [6/10]: A capella Bjork. On first listen, I found the melody too disorienting. But after a couple of listens - especially when she hums the tune in the second half - it becomes clearer and more compelling.

Where Is the Line [8/10]: How do I describe this one? Maybe a cross between a capella heavy metal and the soundtrack to the Omen. It's certainly bold and curiously fascinating. I'm just having a hard time knowing what to do with this track. Though I will say that this track really kicks a** when played loudly on a good sound system! Having read some of the other reviews, it's interesting to see how many people seemed to instantly love this track. Usually I am able to find some really wonderful settings or contexts in which to listen to a particular Bjork song or album. For example, Vespertine is a great soundtrack for when I'm hanging around the house on the weekend or taking a walk some place with a lot of vegetation. I'm not sure what setting would work with this song ... some place with very little light; near a blazing fire; who knows? It could probably work really well performed live. I do like that part after the whistling, when Mike Patton and/or Gregory Purnhagen go nuts, Bjork's vocal distorts, and later, Rahzel makes some heavy pulsating sounds.

Vokuro [9.5/10]: Absolutely gorgeous. This song nearly brought tears to my eyes the first time I listened to it. The choral arrangement of this Jorunn Vidar piece is powerful and timeless.

Oll Birtan [9/10]: Performed by several Bjork vocal layers. Much more earthbound than Vokuro, but nonetheless quite gorgeous after a few listens. I picture a girl running through a field, perhaps on her way to school or passing a small chapel.

Who Is It [10/10]: Yeah!!!!!!! This song is totally sublime!!!!!!!! It's Bjork at her avant-pop best - at the top of her game. She and Rahzel make a terrific pair. Some elements of the song that deserve the highest praise: (a) Bjork's ability to create a great pop song. Who else is able to convey such a pure joy? Her bass synth (and Patton's performance of it) is wicked too. (b) Rahzel, Rahzel, Rahzel!! This song definitely utilizes his amazing beatboxing talents best. He is absolutely integral to the song. Even if he hadn't performed this track in one take (as Bjork noted in an interview), his work would still be amazing here. He deserves credit for creating in this song what are probably Bjork's best beats in all of her work. (c) Bjork's vocal delivery on this track is really solid. One of the problems with some of her best pop songs is that the strength and nuance of her voice gets somewhat undermined by the instrumentation/electronics (examples: Hyperballad, Possibly Maybe [album version], Alarm Call). Although the song is fairly straightforward in terms of Bjork's vocal, she does a great job here, and the engineers/programmers got the balance just right here. (d) Those chords comprised of Bjork vocals that sound like some old pipe organ or something. They're the icing on the cake.

Submarine [8/10]: Robert Wyatt's collaboration with Bjork. Wyatt has such an incredible voice - it's reedy, vulnerable, old, watery, all at once. I'm glad that Bjork allowed him to sing most of the song. (I get so tired of the traditional duet - you know, the kind that Celine Dion loves - in which it serves as a lame excuse to feature stars who pretend to be in love or whatever.) This is a very intriguing a capella piece. It's mostly Wyatt singing here, until there's a sudden 30-second outburst by Bjork about half way through the song. It's an interesting touch.

Desired Constellation [10/10]: Wow. This is a masterpiece. This is easily one of the best songs Bjork has ever made. Everything about this track works exquisitely: (1) Bjork's vocal is very strong, very simple, but it's one of her best deliveries. She's very confident here. She sings the same line over and over again, but she does it so well that you want to keep hearing the small changes she makes each time. She's so comfortable that she occasionally adds a heartbreaking sustained note in between this repeated line - a sign of how incredibly generous she is to this song. She must know what a gem she's created here. (2) Her collaborations with Olivier Alary/Ensemble are truly remarkable. Because their previous collaborations - Sun in My Mouth (recomposed) and Coccon (retangled) - were both remixes, the one ingredient missing from them was Bjork's direct response to the music (though they are still two of her best remixes). Here we see how well she works with Alary's soft, distorted, free form meanderings. It's also nice to hear an electronic composition that is bare enough to allow the listener to catch the subtlety of Bjork's voice. Truly stunning.

Oceania [10/10]: Breathtaking ... another of Bjork's best compositions to date. The second I heard the first choral sweep arpeggio I was swept off into this gorgeous aquatic landscape. Again, Bjork's vocal delivery is ace. And Sjon's lyrics ... they're some of the most beautiful I've heard in years! I'm serious!! Bjork could not have created a better song for the Athens Olympics.

Sonnets/Unrealities XI [8.5/10]: This is a nice adaptation of E. E. Cummings. Bjork's abilities with choral arrangements are becoming really impressive. This would make a good side project for her: adapting a series of E. E. Cummings poems. Along with Vespertine's "Sun in My Mouth" and the b-side "Mother Heroic", she's now made three very good ones.

Ancestors [7.5/10]: Hmm ... It's been a year since the album was released and I'm still not quite sure what to make of this one. I do admire Bjork for including this on the album because she clearly appreciates the work of Tagaq. It's also admirable that she has the confidence to include this in the same record that has some very catchy pop songs. The last minute of the track is absolutely amazing - it's very primal. The final collaborative breath between the two women is devasting.

Mouth's Cradle [9.5/10]: This song really grew on me. It has a very ancient, primitive sound to it - very heavy, muddy, creature-like. The choral arrangement is spot-on here. All the vocal layers work especially well together in this composition.

Midvikudags [9/10]: Another gorgeous all-Bjork vocal arrangement. Has a very vernacular yet accessible feel. Some of her vocal layers sound very flute-like.

Triumph of a Heart [6/10]: A somewhat disappointing way to end this stunning record. This song already has many fans on Amazon, but I definitely can't say that it's one of my favorites on this album. In fact, I find it a little disappointing because, basically, all the elements are there, but it just doesn't quite work as well as it should. A couple of reasons I think this might be the case: (1) It just doesn't have a very catchy melody/chorus (not that every Bjork track needs one, but this track should have one). This song isn't nearly as downright funky as "Who Is It". (2) It sounds too faux-electronic. On all the other tracks, it is clear that Bjork's intent was not simply to replace instruments with human voices; here that distinction is not as apparent. As I said, many of the isolated elements are pretty good fun: Dokaka and Rahzel do a great job on their own, but the song is just not quite there to support them.

Overall, this is an incredibly bold statement from the ever-courageous Bjork. This is the first record I've ever heard that truly brings to mind such things as blood, wood, ink, mud, bones, and flesh, among other things. Not only that, Bjork is at the top of her game on some of these tracks, both as a composer and singer. The production really brings out the fascinating timbres in her voice. Bjork deserves enormous applause for her tireless exploration of musical boundaries.