Volta

Björk

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2007)
• Original Release Date: May 8, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000NVIXFA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (134 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,126 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

1. Earth Intruders

2. Wanderlust

3. The Dull Flame Of Desire

4. Innocence

5. I See Who You Are

6. Vertebrae By Vertebrae

7. Pneumonia

8. Hope

9. Declare Independence

10. My Juvenile

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Björk's main asset as a musician is her fearlessness. Since the end of The Sugarcubes and the pop-dance of Debut, she has released progressively more experimental records. But after well over a decade of going further and further out, Volta steps back. Make no mistake; this is Björk, and so it's still fabulously weird. Like 2004's mesmerizing Medúlla and the 2005 soundtrack for Drawing Restraint 9, the songs are blissfully peculiar, with narratives about love, offspring, aliens...you name it. Yet melodically and philosophically, Volta recycles more than it innovates; the driving pulse of "Declare Independence," for instance, reminds us of Homogenic's "Pluto," and the lead single "Earth Intruders" sounds like Post's "Army of Me" on steroids. And just as Medúlla oriented itself around a certain instrument--the human voice--this one concentrates on horns.

Still, the transition between her early work and the avant-garde bender she's been on since Vespertine is pretty harrowing, and it's satisfying to hear Björk revisit her more accessible self. Uber-producer Timbaland pitches in here and there, most successfully on "Innocence," which uses a fat, disjointed pulse to drive the euphoric vocals forward. Elsewhere, the hyperactive sitar sample on "I See Who You Are" provides texture for the song's theme of enjoying each other while there's still "flesh on our bones." And "Pneumonia" makes fantastic use of the horn section with a soft arrangement that compliments the song's lyrical melody.

So while it's a bit of a stall, Volta is a lovely pause. It reminds us how much we appreciate the laboratory of Björk’s imagination, but also how much we missed her back when she was just goofing around. –Matthew Cooke

Product Description

Bjork returns to her iconic, innovative and rhythmic roots with Volta. Featuring her own infamous beats and collaborations with Timbaland, Antony Hegarty, Brian Chippendale and an all-female Icelandic brass section, the end result is an explosion of beats and an amalgamtion of sound and visuals that give Volta a life of its own, like the world hasn't seen from Bjork in years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging and Pristine, June 27, 2007

By	Charles W. Loosen (Olympia, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was taken aback when I listened to Volta the first time. This wasn't because I thought it was a new, fresh and stunning representation of Bjork's genius, but because I feared it represented a transition in which this album was produced simply for the sake of sales and lacked any philosophical or artistic inspirations.

The second time around, I compared the sound less to previous works. I always have to remind myself that each new album is a new experiment and expression. To compare one to the other - expecting continuity - will only disappoint. Volta is a new child with its own personality.

Bjork has always pushed the limits of creative expression, and I feel Medulla was definitely evidence of this. Volta feels like an attempt to integrate her new territory with what some might call her classic sound.

Some critics have said Volta is directionless or just a hodgepodge of songs that form no narrative. Clearly they don't understand why Bjork chose Volta as the name for this album. It is full of sudden unexpected course changes, and I suspect she struggled with how to tie it all up in the end. The lyrics are more coherent than I'm accustomed to. I think Bjork had a lot to say here. The same critics who called Volta a hodgepodge also said "Declare Independence" is lyrically immature. They missed the point not only of that song, but also of "I See Who You Are," which is to enjoy every bit of life while we have time. Bjork's mystical understanding of the human purpose and condition is revealed once again in "Declare Independence" when she states the protection of language is as important as currency. David Abram's book "Spell of the Sensuous" goes into detail about the origins of language and how closely tied language is to the land of its birth. Bjork has integrated the sounds of her environment into her music and her language. Whether Bjork is familiar with Abrams doesn't matter. She understands the importance of sovereignty not just in terms of political borders, stamps and currency, but also the importance of remaining connected to our source and therefore remaining human. She has left behind a lot of mystique to reveal more grounded aspects of herself through Volta. "My Juvenile" is a peak into the relationship between Bjork and her son. She has gone to great lengths to protect him from exploitation, and it seems like quite a step to open up to millions in this way. She shares the fears, the regrets, the worries and the joys that every parent has. How does one protect, while letting go at the same time?

Volta is anything but immature. Lyrically Bjork has revealed another more grounded aspect of herself that comes with age and experience, while maintaining the buoyancy I need and appreciate. Volta adds context to everything she has created to date, and establishes a new foundation for future creative endeavors. What will her next gem sound like?

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Everyone seems to either love it or hate it. I'm the exception - I'm right in the middle., November 11, 2007

By	Joshua G. Feldman "Technophile" (New York) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I love Bjork - but Volta is pretty weird self-indulgent stuff. There are moments of shocking brilliance and a few very good songs. That just makes the long meandering patches and weird duets harder to take. I keep listening and hoping that with familiarity this album will "take" (sometimes an album I can't stand at first ends up being a favorite over the long haul - like "After the Goldrush" by Neil Young). So far (6 months later) I still find this album strong meat and tend to skip a lot of tracks. I still love Bjork - but I can't seem to find my love for this one.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic CD by a phenomenal artist., May 23, 2007

By	constant reader "constant reader" (Hastings on Hudson, NY United States) - See all my reviews

After the experimental departures of Vespertine and Medulla, Bjork is back to her classic sound with VOLTA, her fantastic new CD. Volta features a 10-piece horn section that is used to great effect throughout, especially at the end of instant-favorite lead-off track "Earth Intruders," where the horns emulate ship fog horns of an Icelandic harbor. This leads into the beautiful "Wanderlust," which starts with the lyric "I am leaving this harbour, Giving urban a farewell." At this point in the CD, I'm ready to take the journey with her.

"The Dull Flame of Desire" is next. Here Bjork duets with New York singer Antony. The song is a bit too long, and it has taken me a while to get used to Antony's strange voice, but overall it is a good, slow love song with smooth horns and wistful lyrics. Definitely a song that grows on you. "Innocence" picks up the pace with its catchy techno beat. Rarely of late has a CD--by anyone--started out with such an amazing quartet of songs. The sound is fresh, modern, and shows a re-invigorated Bjork.

After catching your breath from these four tracks, "I See Who You Are" will have you marvel at Bjork's downright ability to compose a song. It features Min Xiao-Fen on pipa, a traditional Chinese string instrument (like a sitar) that has to be heard to be appreciated. It's almost enough to inspire some air-pipa playing!

"Vertebrae By Vertebrae" and "Pneumonia" are next; they are good, solid filler tracks. "Hope" is next, and is one of my favorite songs on the CD. "What's the lesser of two evils"? Bjork ponders, as she muses on the state of the world, and what would drive a pregnant suicide bomber to commit an act of terror. She concludes with the thought "Well I don't care, Love is all, I dare to drown To be proven wrong." The song ends with more harbor horns, before kicking into the foot-stomping "Declare Independence," a crunchy, techno song--the exact kind that I love from Bjork. This song, along with "Earth Intruders" and Post's "Army of Me" will easily keep my speedometer at 80 if I happen to have them on in my car while driving.

"My Juvenile" closes out the CD. Antony is featured again, though more subtlely. Bjork sings this song to her first child, whom she feels she may have let go too soon: "Perhaps I set you too free, Too fast, Too young." Antony, singing in response as Bjork's son: "But the intentions were pure. But the intentions were pure."

Bjork is probably the only recording artist left who is doing her own thing, not a slave to the whims and wants of a record company. She is a true artist who is only concerned with her art, and making the music that she wants, with whom she wants. There is not much of that left in the medium of rock music. Volta is a classic CD by a phenomenal artist.