Bjork - Volta
|
List Price: Our Price: $1.99 You Save: $16.97 (90%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.49 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Volta
Free Music Review: Still blowing my mind
Hit: 5 Stars
Bjork is still doing well, and producing great music. Buy this album, you won't be disappointed.Free Music Review: There Is Only One Björk!.
Hit: 4 Stars
In a career that spawned over two decades Icealndic Björk has been doing almost everything. Commercial music in the early-mid 90's, Exprimental music in the early 00's and both delicate slow songs and eccentric faster songs. She's done alot in her time, but what's so funny about her is that she's so unpredictable and she will find a new way to catch your attention wether you want it or not. "Volta" is as diffrent from "Medulla" as the latter was to "Post" but we'll still see glipses of multiple sides of Bjork on this album. However for the most part this album isn't that serious, it's more of a have fun album with plenty of playful uptempos. What's most interesting with "Volta" is perhaps her work with Hip Hop/R&B producer Timbaland who produced three songs. But also the appearence of Anthony Hegarty who participated in two duets. Other then that we got producer Mark Bell as usual and an [...] of World Music artists that appear here and there on diffrent instruments. There are only 10 songs on this album, a rarity in the music industry today but with so few songs they must have picked the absolute best?
Alright, let's take a look at the material. Opener is called "Earth Intruders" and it's a Timbaland production and also first single. It's one those spontaneous sides of Björk that directly proves the point with loud howls. It also heavy on drums and electric piano from African band Konono No.1 and i think it deals with the world's environment problems that Björk takes very serious. Good opener that set's the tone and reminds me of some of her music from the 90's but with less fascinating production that Timbaland's work ofcourse!. "Wanderlust" is beautiful, it opens with gloomy horns that almost sounds like they are old steamboats. But then when the actual song begins it got a very meliodic but somber sound backed by electro vibes. "Dull Flame of Desire" is the first of two songs with Anthony Hegarty. It's a slow but emotional and very powerful ballad, Hegarty's odd voice suits perfect together with Björk's. "Innocence" once again by Timbaland is quirky but beautiful with funky Trip Hop influnced beats and sound. Another ballad called "I See Who You Are" that feauture Chinese musician and Pipa player Min Xiao-Fen. It's suppostely about her daughter, but with Björks vague lyrics you can never be sure. "Vertebrae by Vertebrae" a haunting midtempo backed by a great Icelandic orchestra may not be a highlight but it's ok. Another slow song called "Pneumonia" where Björk tells a girl to get over her sorrows and realize how the world is made. Don't know who it's reffered to but it's also haunting with a sound of sadness. Third Timbaland song "Hope" is much slower and less exprimental but it got world music influences too. "Declare Independence" a political song about Faroe Islands and Greenland that should become independent from Denmark. This is one of loudest and most angry songs I've heard from Björk. It sounds like Industrial Rock with a very heavy synth vibe and heavy percussion. really diffrent but I think I prefer her other sides. "My Juvenile" a new ballad with Hegarty about her son. This is also the closer but it's not one of the better songs even if it got a powerful meaning.
Overall, Volta is really good for the major part. And I apreciate all diffrent sides of Björk, It's good that she finally makes an album were she reveal all of her sides at once. However, I think she's best with the more accessible, exprimental but yet catchy Timbaland songs "Earth Intruders" and "Hope" and also "Wanderlust" is magnificient. I also love that she introduced world music to her sound. The African band is great and so is the Chinese musician. All this makes Volta a fascinating listen and Björk's best and most accessible album in ages. Very much recommended.
Free Music Review: Bjork Raises Her Flag!
Hit: 4 Stars
It's becoming cliched to shell out praise to Bjork. With every album she releases, every single that hits the airwaves, more and more people are giving her the attention and accolades that she truly deserves. I mean, come on! How could you not love her? Aside from possessing what is arguably the strongest voice of any female vocalist today, she is also the most imaginative and one of the few artists who are willing to steer clear of mainstream music. Her previous effort, "Medulla" was genius in it's use of the human voice and managed to become an all-time favorite for me. As such, "Volta" has pretty big expectations to live up to. Thankfully, Bjork has once again succeeded in creating an album that is both musically amazing and deep in complexity.
The lead-off track and first single "Earth Intruders" is a fantastic way to begin an album. It's upbeat and frenetic production, done by none other than the always-awesome Timbaland, is the true appeal of the song. The mega producer does a stand-up job of blending his flawless production with Bjork's sometimes overpowering voice. The song is amazing from start to finish, and without a doubt the best example of what "Volta" is all about. "Wanderlust" introduces brass instrumentation into the mix, an ongoing theme throughout the album, and adds layers upon layers of Bjork's vocals. It's a very strange way to make a song, but at the same time it's incredibly rewarding with a good pair of headphones.
On "The Dull Flame of Desire" the brass horns lead off with a fanfare-ish segue into this beautiful duet with Antony Hegarty. His voice is just as strangely awesome as Bjork's, and the two vocalists complement each other extremely well here. "Innocence" increases the pace a little bit, with a beat that is 50% energy / 50% genius. Bjork sings the catchy chorus "When I once was innocent, it is still here but in different places" perfectly, while adding some periodic falsetto to deepen the vocals.
"Vertebrae by Vertebrae" once again utilizes the brooding brass band to form what is a somewhat frightening songs. When she softly sings, "Vertebrae by vertebrae" you can't help but freak out just a little bit. "Declare Independence" features a literally screaming Bjork, obviously touching on a subject that she takes very seriously. Though it almost seems silly at first, by the time the song comes to an end and Bjork is screaming "DON'T LET THEM DO THAT TO YOU!" it's hard not to let it find that soft spot in your heart (Primarily, because it beats itself in). The song uses a guitar synthesizer (more specifically "FL Slayer" from Fruity Loops) brilliantly to create a truly amazing song.
In the end, "Volta" is not Bjork's greatest album, neither is it her worst. Like most of her other albums, it contains some truly memorable tracks that will undoubtedly go down as classics and others that miss the mark. "Volta" is a terrific album in spite of it's dragging moments, and there is more than enough magic contained in it's playtime to sustain even the most cynical of Bjork's fans. If you're a fan of Bjork, there's no reason for you to not check out this album. If you're not a fan...well...you're probably not even reading this.
Recommended for fans of Bjork, especially those who have been longing for a new addition to their collection.
Key Tracks:
1. "Earth Intruders"
2. "The Dull Flame of Desire"
3. "Innocence"
4. "Declare Independence"
5. "My Juvenile"
8 out of 10 Stars
Free Music Review: She's good enough for me to round UP for
Hit: 4 Stars
I would probably rank this disc more of a 3.5 or 3.75 if I had my druthers, but I'll round her up to a 4, which seems almost a shame, since Bjork herself doesn't work in integers in the realms of category, genre or even dimension.
The cover and interior images are nice reminders that Bjork is clearly an artist whose ilk is beyond the simple definitions of pop sensibility. In fact, when it comes to her music, I tend to make more connections to contemporary composers like Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Alfred Schnittke rather than pop, dance and techno stars. Bjork has often worked in the realm of dissonance, making her voice jar against the music and push all of it into its own kind of instrumentation.
But even when working in the realm of dissonance, Bjork at her best moments takes disparate sounds and creates with them a complexity of emotion. Songs like "The Anchor Song" or "Hyperballad" work together a web of sound that makes them beautiful and sad and maybe even a little bit scary. Even in songs that seem almost too simplistic, Bjork works her voice more in the realm of instrumentation than conveying content.
In fact, the images on the packaging of this album seem to suggest an almost Dada-ist sensibility, and tracks like "Earth Intruders" and "Declare Independence" seem to use a cacophany of sound rather than organized patterns, which are usually the norm in electronic music. Bjork gets all-time credit for bringing electronic music back into the world of the avant garde (to nudge out some of the mass of horn-blowers and guitar-screechers), but a few of the tracks on this release don't ultimately satisfy in the end. In a way, there is a little too much clashing of rhythms in the style of Philip Glass than the overriding pathos of Alfred Schnittke. There are moments of interest in "Earth Intruders" and some niceties to "Wanderlust," but the first really sound track on this disc was "Innocence," which mixes an almost primal pounding with exquisite Bjork vocal. Bjork scores again with "Vertebrae By Vertebrae," but it seems that she has often been at her best when her attention is anatomical.
Bjork's willingness to experiment and get quite extreme in her explorations of the possibility of the electronic always garner my highest respect, though I wouldn't call this disc one of her finest efforts. No doubt, there are many lifetime acheivement awards waiting for her when her canon reconstructs the ozone layer (and let's hope she wears that awesome swan gown when she accepts), and so the acheivements of each individual album are but individual, thin wafers of a delicious whole, but _Volta_ doesn't strike the kind of pure inspiration and wholeness of vision as _Debut_ or _Vespertine_.
But give an exquisite artist her due--even the great poets know that writing a great poem is like standing in a field and waiting to get hit by lightning. Bjork stretches herself with each new song, and so she gets bumped up to a 4 with a more-than-3 release.
Free Music Review: Worth the Purchase
Hit: 4 Stars
There has been a long wait for the release of this, Bjork's sixth official album. I, with many, have been waiting months finding out little bits of information through interviews and her plans to travel around the world touring. When I found out that Timbaland would be working with her on the album, I was surprised, and to be frank, a little disappointed. I thought this may have been Bjork's album where she finally sold out. Thankfully I was wrong. Though this is the most commercial album Bjork has done in a long time, it is still Bjork and therefore different. Bjork decided to remove filler from the album and it was therefore made short, at only ten tracks. Each of these tracks, however, are well executed and for the most part are brilliant.
The album begins with the first single "Earth Intruders". This track (which is co-produced by Timbaland) starts the album on a nice upbeat tempo and it is a catchy tune. Though this song is quite good, it doesn't really compare to Bjork's best. "Wanderlust" is a superb ballad by Bjork and returns her to familiar territory. It feels almost like an alternative version to "Hyperballad". Unfortunately "The Dull Flame Of Desire" isn't as good. This overlong duet with Antony is ridiculously repetitive and tiring. The music for this nearly saves it, but not quite. The second half of the album begins with one of the best Bjork songs ever, "Vertibrae by Vertibrae", a very spooky song where Bjork uses her voice to full potential. The music is incredibly moving, almost to the point where you forget about the lyrics (though those are good too). Generally the second half of the album is better than the first with anxious sad songs like "Pneumonia" and Bjork's mind unravelled on "Hope". "Declare Independence" is a song unlike anything Bjork has done before. The song mixes punk and electronic. It is a great angry song that is highly catchy and develops as it goes along, sounding almost like an army at war towards the end. "My Juvenile" is a nice way to end the album. This is a much more effective duet with Antony than "The Dull Flame Of Desire."
The album is the right length for a Bjork album at ten songs. Longer albums tend to become more tedious and since Bjork's voice is such an acquired taste, she would appeal to more people with a short album. Each of the songs are good with the possible exception of "The Dull Flame Of Desire". The album does feel a little disjointed in comparison to Bjork's previous albums, with the only thing linking each song being the sound of a ship. There is no focus on any specific aspect of Bjork. The album, though not Bjork's best, is better than "Medulla" and is a solid effort. I recommend it to anyone who loves Bjork's voice.
Download: "Wanderlust", "Vertibrae by Vertibrae", "Declare Independence".