This was baffling. The Amazon review cleary states that 'Volta' is a 'return to the more commercial, upbeat sound of her early work.' Well, maybe for the opening tribal drumming pop of 'Earth Intruders', but afterwards we're surely confronted by Björk's most difficult and challenging record yet.
That's not to say it isnt good, far from it. There are some great songs here, like the deliciously gentle 'I See Who You Are', the relaxed beats of 'Hope' and closing 'My Juvenile', one of two good duets with Anthony Hegarty from Anthony and the Johnsons. But on the flipside of that we have an album popping up with ships sounding together (yes, you read right), and the simple, repetitive horn instrumentations that dominate the dramatic 'Vertebrae by Vertebrae' and the quieter 'Pnuemonia'. At times, these two songs in particular get a bit.....well, annoying. Couple that with 'Declare Independence', a loud techno number, which is the Icelandic songstress' harshest and surely most unlistenable song to date, then you really do have an album with two faces.
There is a good album within 'Volta' (well, half a good album at the least), but as with 2004's 'Medulla', I'm left thinking that at times she's becoming too self-indulgent in her conquest for originality. As with Björk last few albums, it's a challenging listen and it's her longest album to date, but please dont expect a return to her more commercial days with 'Volta', because you really will not get it.
1 comment:
...and Iwan forgot to mention the really annoying sticker on the digi-pac. Anyone who thinks this is remotely commercial needs to be locked up with Lily Allen and Norah Jones for several months. Having said that, it's really rather wonderful and only Declare Independence goes too far for me. I guess she's not in the popular music category any more and moved towards contemporary classical, though they'll never claim her for their own.
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