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A temple without religion, a plane soaring without engines. Covering your arms in feathers and attempting to fly to the sun. Only approximately half of the tracks on 'Medulla' can be classified as songs as such. Bjork has done what perhaps was the only thing left for her to do - ditch the music altogether. Well, it's not strictly true that this is an entirely acapella record, although 95% of it certainly is. Elsewhere, voices are processed to sound like beats or bass lines. Heavenly choirs spring up during the likes of the stunning 'Where Is The Line' so first of all, don't go into this thinking all you're getting is fourteen tracks of Bjork singing and vocalising on her own. 'Medulla' isn't quite that straightforward. In actual fact, it isn't straightforward at all. Even by Bjork standards 'Medulla' is a challenge. Well, if the aspect you like least on an average Bjork record is her singing and voice, clearly, don't go anywhere near this album. For those that have enjoyed her edging ever further outwards, this may be as far out as she can go. She's surrounded herself with professional singers of the likes of Mike Patton, Robert Wyatt, an entire Icelandic Choir. Matmos, who has done some strange things, helps out with the programming. Bjork has always managed to surround herself with very cool people. I like 'Submarine', a wholly vocal excersize that sounds like voice training, but the distinctive sound of Robert Wyatt can be heard and adds another something else.
Volta 8 ( 2007 ) Earth Intruders / Wanderlust / Dull Flame of Desire / Innocence (Co-Produced By Timbaland) / I See Who You Are (Feat. Min Xiao-Fen) / Vertebrae by Vertebrae / Pneumonia / Hope / Declare Independence / My Juvenile Bjork returns to adriandenning.co.uk. I reviewed all of her albums once then deleted the reviews for being far too crap. For those that want to know, 'Volta' isn't a return to 'Debut' or 'Post' rather a return to something like 'Homogenic', at least it approaches something that might be considered commercial and graspable. She works with noted hip-hop producer Timbaland on a few tracks. Nothing here sounds like Fergie or Nelly Furtado because this is Bjork. 'Innocence' sounds scary to me, lots of weird sounds courtesy of both Bjork and Timbaland. Bjork still scares me. Why does it sound like a ship is being launched at the beginning of 'Declare Independence' and then like she's buried the guitar player under several pillows? 'Dull Flame Of Desire' is a Bjork duet? Who could sing with Bjork I hear you cry! Well, Anthony of Anthony And The Johnsons of course. The result is interestingly pleasingly naturally very peculiar. Sonny and Cher need not be worried or cancel their prime-time TV show just yet. What do you mean that was decades ago? Bjork never sounds old herself, only ever sounding progressive and artful no matter what she does. It's a beautiful track. 'My Juvenille' is another duet with Anthony. Weird Bjork instrumentation barely there, the song is hard to unravel and Bjork's voice is raw and naked. Anthony doesn't get a lot to do here to be honest, but when his vocals do come in the song enjoys another layer of interest. It's a quiet, fitting album closer that weirdly reminds me of her own 'Anchor Song'. I say weirdly because it sounds nothing like that song. this page last updated 11/05/08 MP3 Streaming | Home Page | Message Board | News & Articles | Music Review Sites | Poetry | Prose Ratings At A Glance | Readers Comments | Singles Bar | Top Albums | Updates/New
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