Post [MINIDISC]

If you have never purchased a Bjork album, and are not too sure if you will like her or not, "Post" will be an excellent indication as if you do or not. The structure of the songs, are usually quite common, although the uniqueness and originality relies on the album's VERY strange and out-there lyrics (perhaps the craziest of Bjork's career), the way the electronic media is used, and of course Bjork's vocal.

"Army Of Me" opens the album very powerfully. It is one of the most accessible songs of Bjork's career, but this does not mean that it is one of the lesser tracks. It is very industrial and electronic. "Hyper-ballad" follows. I absolutely hated this song at first, but it is now in my top-5-favourite-Bjork-songs list (not that I have one), and continues to grow on me. The intro starts of with a bass synth sound, before acoustic drums are heard, and the wonderful lyric: "We live on a mountain, right at the top, there's a beautiful view" and so on. Classic. Bjork talks about throwing car parts and cutlery of a mountain, and imagining what the sound would be of her falling of a cliff. Genius. Her lyrically creative and best song, which became her second top 10 hit, and was the fourth single (after "It's Oh So Quiet") "The Modern Things" follows and it is another track that I adore. Bjork sings about how all the modern things such as cars and such have always have existed - they just have been hiding inside mountains (and this point you may be beginning to wonder what it is with her and mountains) amongst other bizarre lyrics, and she implies that mechanical things will soon take over the world, if you take the lyrics literally.

The 'classic' "It's Oh So Quiet" follows, and most fans see this song as one of the worst, if not the worst, song Bjork has ever created. It peaked at #4 in the UK, and sold nearly half a million copies there - the single. It was the last song where Bjork used jazz instruments such as saxophones. The song was so popular because it was VERY VERY different without being inaccessible or not radio friendly, the contrast between the verses and the chorus, the great video (her best until Alarm Call), and also the contrasting lyrics. "Enjoy" is another very loud and industrial song about sex to put it quite simply. It is strange and the best non-single. It is dark and reminds me of 'Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors', by Radiohead, although not as repetitive and distorted. "You've Been Flirting Again" is such a good song, and my second favourite non-single. It is absolutely beautiful and I love how Bjork performs it live at most of her concerts. I enjoy its simplicity and unique structure (one of the only songs with a not-so-normal structure.

"Isobel" follows, and was the second single from this album (the first was Army Of Me, which became her first UK top 10 hit. This song peaked at #23 in the UK. This song is definitely not radio-friendly enough to be a successful (i.e. top 10 or so) single. It is a fantastic song although I have to be in the right mood for it. "Possibly Maybe" is a dark, sexy, tranquil song, and probably the most sexy, and one of the most girly songs I have ever heard. It is gorgeous. It was the fifth single in the UK, reaching #13, which is very good for such a strange song. It is minimalistic, and is a cross between say Army Of Me and Hidden Place. "I Miss You" is one of the more accessible songs, and my least favourite from the album. It peaked at #36 in the UK. "Cover Me" it is a short, low-tempo song, not lasting more than a minute, which is followed by the amazing "Headphones", which return to the quality of the first six tracks. It is another song that is quite minimalstic, and it is one of the three longest Bjork songs. To enjoy (pun intended) this song you have to be PATIENT. Many reviews have stated that this song doesn't go anywhere until X etc etc. But it is a great song, and closes this masterpiece wonderfully. The second best Bjork album, afer Vespertine.

9 / 10

Back in the early '90s, when ex-Sugarcube Björk released her debut solo album "Human Behaviour", she was still the relatively mainstream pixie pin-up of the indie scene. It wasn't until Post, her second outing, that the glorious goofiness she is now known for really started to show.

As a girl in Iceland, she used to skip across the tree-less moors and make up nonsensical rhymes and music - what she is doing here is basically the same thing, but in a studio and with the help of Tricky (one of the engineers behind Massive Attack's darkly urban sound). The result is music that sounds like a cross between a Manga cartoon and an Icelandic saga. If you are scared off by her flaky persona - don't be. These tracks are more accessible than you would expect from a girl who went to the Oscar's with a stuffed swan draped around her neck. They're different, true, but not indulgently so.

On the opening track, Army of Me, Björk launches an attack against clingy lovers: "And if you complain once more, you'll meet an army of me," she promises, and goes on to plead "self-sufficiency, please!" It's a welcome contrast to all those love-struck Katie Melua-types out there. "Modern Things", with its quirky lyrics about machines taking over the world, sees Björk in full Manga mood, and standout track "Oh So Quiet" is big-band jazz gone bonkers.

The thing that intrigues me about Björk is how someone who seems so human can be so into machine-made music. Maybe it's inevitable that this oddball would want to look to the future instead of the past: if you want retro, you won't find it here. Still, Post sticks out like a sore thumb in the normally quite ethereal and outer-spacey world of dub/rhythm and bass/ dance. Where acts like Portishead are cool like polished silver, Björk sounds like an exuberant firework display of emotions. In the end, this album is all about her voice: big, riotous, squealing, groaning, whispering, giggling and weirdly sexy.

PS. Björk is Icelandic for those Scandinavian trees that look like vegetarian versions of a Dalmatian. Or at least I THINK it is.

My favourite Bjork album without any doubt. Bjork uses her voice toper, perfectly veering between the thumping techno of Enjoy or Army of Me to the beautiful & emotional You've Been Flirtng Again, possibly the most beautiful song she has performed with a stunning orchestral backing. Isobel is wonderful-great lyrics, her stunning voice & marvellous music, with an unnerving, emotional quality. Hyperballad is great fun & The Modern Things is mad but stunning. Its Oh So Quiet was a great single & Bjork covers it really well-it perfectly suits her voice & personality. All the tracks are superb-a real album of qaulity, perfectly balanced & performed & a real show case for a completely unique & powerful talent. One of the few albums that can have me wanting to dance one minute & then find my emotions being really tapped. Awesome.