Customer Reviews

Volta [Vinyl]

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

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?

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.

Just to give a brief summary as to where I stand as a Björk fan before I dive in...I think her first two albums (Debut/Post) are both great records. Yet, she was a little more naive at the time and didn't have as much control creatively. But she was learning. With her next two releases, Homogenic and Vespertine, she began to break away from the poppy sounds of the first two and began to write (she began having more control over the writing), darker, bleaker records. So not only did she begin to define her sound and really become the unique artist she is, but they where also simply brilliant, amazing records. With Medulla she came up with an interesting concept, yet it was simply too hard to listen to in the context of a record. For me atleast.

My point is, Björk has been getting better and better, up until Medulla where things simply got TOO weird. It hurt the record and I think she crossed the line in that aspect. In her newest release, Volta, she returned to square one and tried to create something more in the flavor of a modern day Post. Well, this made perfect sense. Now I know she won't make another Vespertine, but with the creative control she's had to define her sound over the past 10 years then we should get a great return to form...right? Not so.

Three problems with Volta. 1.) Vocals are not very well written. None of the lyrics are catchy and just don't carry the emotional impact Björk put into them in the past. She just kind of rambles, which is unusual for her. 2.) The albums does not have it's own unique SOUND, as her past records have each had. The asian strings/brass/horns almost make that happen, but just don't dominate enough of the record. 3.) Her vocals are mixed WAY too high. Whoever mixed the album needs to be shot. Considering how sharp and high pitched her voice can be, it's easy for her to overpower the electronics. In Homogenic, the electronics/beats where mixed to be just about as loud as her voice, which also gave the listener a feeling of an overwhelming sonic attack on the senses. There is some great instrumentation on Volta, it's just not implemented correctly.

To touch on a few tracks, I think Earth Intruders is sort of average compared to some of her past works. A weak single. Wanderlust is much better, and features the L.F.O. infected sound of Homogenic with fast paced, slicing electronics. Problem is...the vocals on it are weak for Bjork, with the electronics mixed too low under them to the point where they don't provide the correct "punch". Innocence is a strong track of similar nature, packing a repetitive rhythm crunch that totally smacks you in the face, and the vocals are actually very good. The Dull Flame of Desire and Vertebrae both feature beautiful orchestration and better vocals, but the former is a little drawn out and is too long. Pneumonia is also very nice and relaxing, making good use of horns and rain effects. The HUGE letdown of Volta is Declare Independence, seeing how it is a collaboration with producer Mark Bell, who helped make Homogenic such a great record. It's easily one of, maybe the worst song she's written. The closer, Hope is kind of bland.

Overall, a mediocre album from Björk. She has, and can, do better than this.

I'm not going to belabor this review by analyzing every song. Suffice it to say that I am in awe of Bjork's ability to make the music that she wants to make without worry over whether it will be commercially successful. The fact that she is constantly exploring new musical terrain stands as testament to the fact that she is a musical artist and not one of the gaggle of "singers" who rely on hype to sell their wares. Do I think that this is a truly great CD? Yes... I do. I will add that it is best listened to as a whole and not as sampled tracks. What on the surface seems not at all cohesive is decidely so when taken in as recorded and sequenced.

Is this as good as "Homogenic"? "Post"? "Medulla"? "Debut"? "Vespertine"? Funny, but I never questioned whether "A Starry Night" was as good as "Sunflowers".

Maybe I'm just too hung up on POST, but nothing seems to compare to me like that album. Don't get me wrong, it's a good disc, I'm just not as impressed as with her former efforts. I would though share it with a friend. It's a good album to just play and let run while you're doing something else...like vacuming your car or something.

if you've already heard earth intruders, you've heard the best this album has to offer. i've enjoyed all of her work up until now, and was really looking forward to hearing her go back to her old roots, as it is we were promised a much more fun and vibrant album.

what we get is a mixed bag, there's a couple great upbeat tracks, but also a lot of filler.

yes that's right, I said filler. here's the bad news: basically the last half of the CD is a total snoozefest. like vespertine minus the rich, seductive melody and layered harmonics that made it so enchanting.

so basically all you're left with are a handful of comotose, self-indulgent dirges that meander aimlessly around bjork's innermost thoughts and desires. i would include "the dull flame of desire" in this category, but it is saved by the beautiful horn ensemble and the welcome addition of antony hegarty's exquisite voice.

and i like to pretend that "declare independence" doesn't exist. i love dissonance, when it's anchored in something more substantial, but this song almost quite literally sounds like a bag of pissed off cats - shrieking vocals layered over noise layered over furious, distorted percussion. if that's what independence sounds like, i don't think i want it.

the singing, in general, can get pretty boring from time to time. often you wonder if she is just making up the melody as she goes along.

i'm giving her a hard time, maybe too much of a hard time. earth intruders is almost worth the price of admission alone, and wanderlust delivers a haunting melody over a skittering, shuddering, aphex-twin like beat. innocence has a fun, primal almost hip hop beat to it, but lacks direction like so many of the other weak tracks. a couple more tight melodic hooks would have done this album WONDERS. i see who you are is a cute song, light and pretty...but is overshadowed by the fact that it sounds like something from vespertine...and at this point in the CD you're really starting to wonder where all the energy is you were promised.

overall a couple excellent tracks, but done in by a lot of mediocrity (something i never in a million years thought i would use to describe a bjork song!)

sorry bjork, love you girl, but all that unchecked creativity needs an anchor of some sort, possibly in the form of a producer.

Since I am a fan, I decided to wait a few weeks before reviewing Bjork's new cd "Volta." I remember being a little over enthusiastic for "Medulla," her last release. Over time, I really did not listen to it much, despite liking about half the songs. "Medulla" really was an experiment (she focused on mostly voice-based sounds), and might have made a good EP. Still, Bjork seems to always try something new, so you have to give her credit.

So whats new on "Volta?" The early buzz was that it was fun, uplifting music, a change after a couple of quiet, inner looking and reflective albums. And yes, that turns out to be partially true, "Volta" has its share of jumpy and upbeat stuff. But like earlier Bjork albums, it has a little of this, a little of that, its almost a summation of all the different types of music she has produced. "Volta" has its quiet, upbeat, and of course being Bjork, its weird moments.

By now, everyone has heard of the collaboration with Timbaland, Antony, Konono No. 1, and I think the mix is a good one in all cases. The african rhythms are very enjoyable: "Earth Intruders" is a little sing-songy, but I think its a good tune. Antony is as much an acquired taste as Bjork: you like him or you don't. I wasn't sure about his vocals on "The Dull Flame of Desire," but its grown on me, probably due to the song being one of the best on the cd. Also fun: the Timbaland produced "Innocence," where I just know Bjork is smiling while singing. The track sounds very today and modern, which is a good thing in this case.

The David Lynch moment is "Vertabrae by Vertabrae," (what a title), a slow creep-out with a brass arrangement, which is followed by "Pneumonia," another quiet, watercolor-like song. Things pick up a bit with "I See Who You Are" and "Hope," where a japanese pipa and an african kora are used to good effect on top of quieter drum beats. But for me the stand out tracks are "Wanderlust" and "Declare Indepedence:" "Wanderlust" features strong Bjork vocals on top of a building drum and bass beat, just fantastic, while "Declare Independence" is the industrial synth freakout with Bjork almost screaming the lyrics( remember "Pluto?"). Wonderful. "My Juvenile" is a nice coda to end the cd.

So "Volta" has what every Bjork fan should love: strong vocals and production, weird and enchanting lyrics, new approaches to music and rhythms, brass arrangements mixed with electronics and beats, and interesting guest performers. It's ultimately a pop album, but only a pop album that Bjork could make. Well done. Will definately be one of my choices for best of the year.

I've never been into Bjork whatsoever, I always thought of her as Psychotic and "outthere" like a baglady that talks to herself (That's added to my curiosity about her over the years although I've never liked her music),

but after hearing her song "Earth Intruders" on (Music Choice) back in 2007 I couldn't help but snatch this CD up. This is my very first Bjork CD, I'm lost when it comes to her career. I know nothing about it,

I have many friends that's played her music over the years and it just never appealed to me, But, Something was different this time around. I knew her voice when the song came on and the song was something i'd actually listen to.

I couldn't believe it, From everything else i've heard by Bjork this album is a bit more commercial seasoned with some pop and dance than anything else I can recall hearing from her.

I hear a lot of hiphop influences (not the overprocessed annoying type) it's just small samples of the genre within a few songs. I get frozen when I hear HOT dance tracks for the first time, And this is neat.

If I were a hardcore fan this album would most likely pi$$ me off and call her a sellout, But I'm not a fan so we don't have that to worry about ;). For me this is just NEW music to put on my iPOD.

Bjork's "VOLTA" is one of my latest experiments I guess you could say. It says a lot about Bjork when someone who's never cared for your music rates your latest album 4 stars. I know her true fans must hate this CD if I like it. I'll be interested in hearing the follow-up to this.

If I had to describe this album in one word, the word I would use would be "disappointing."

The worst song off the album is "Earth Intruders," a lyrically unimpressive, aggressive sounding song that wastes Björk's magnificent voice behind so much musical layering. "Innocence" sounds like a song that Björk cut from Homogenic. It's only saving grace is that her voice is so strong on this track--a rarity for the album, where superfluous sound seems to dominate nearly every track. "I See Who You Are" reminds me of her rendition of Chet Baker's "Like Someone in Love," except... uninteresting, lacking in complexity or innovation.

The strongest song off the album is "Dull Flame of Desire," which starts out with a driving horn section and continues in an incredibly moving duet between Björk and Antony. Still, the song itself doesn't achieve what you might hope; lyrically, it is weak.

Other tracks off of Volta are forgettable, at best.

It's almost as though Matthew Barney sucked the talent out of Björk.

If one is going to buy or listen to this album expecting another Debut, Post, or something in between, you're going to be disappointed by Volta. It's not the album we were expecting- a fun, "full-bodied" album that's really up, as quoted by Bjork herself. In fact, Volta is more than that. In Volta, it's indeed Bjork's humble return to her iconic beats and singing- there are no more whispers, Bjork is finally letting her voice shine. In Volta, Bjork is doing pop her own way. Timbaland's tracks are obviously the most catchy of all her songs on this album, but when you take away the hype surrounding them, you'll realize that Volta has songs that take the time to listen to, but with repeated listens, you'll learn to appreciate and love the more adventerous side of Bjork. Volta is almost like a mesh of everything she's ever done. Wanderlust and Dull Flame of Desire remind us of Post, but more full-blooded with the wonderful brass arrangement that sails through each song along with the sound of ships. "Vertebrae" and "Pneumonia" are samples from DR9 with the somber brass, the punky "Declare Independence" is apparently the "Pluto" of Volta. The most touching of all is how Volta is by far her most personal album, she's no longer try to isolate herself from the world, but is facing it in full force with "Innocence." In "Hope," she expresses political thoughts for the first time. And most of all, in "I See Who You Are" (who is about her daughter) and "My Juvenile" (which is about her older son) we see Bjork as an immensely sincere and humble mother.

Maybe not everyone will understand Volta, but it is arguably her most accessible record since Vespertine and her most personal and strongest album to date. I also had the pleasure in seeing her in concert this year, hearing some of the songs from Volta live makes me appreciate this innovative and inspiring artist even more!