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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Volta review, 24 Jun 2007
Bjork's latest offering `Volta' invites new and old fans to follow her unstoppable career to new heights. The album is essentially a catalogue of sounds forged into ten tracks, taking the listener on a journey through the weird and wonderful. Emerging through the other side is not for the faint hearted, as the music requires the punter to be attentive and almost submissive to what's going on. Very rewarding listening to those who embrace it, on the other hand sceptics of her trademark vocal technique need take no notice. This album is a consistent progression away from what is considered accessible, leaving critique at the doorstep and further raising the heights of originality.
Opening track `Earth Intruders' reaffirms Bjorks cult status with dirgy sounds and macabre backing vocals. The backbeat suggests a driving force whilst the vocals take an abstract look at the pagan nature of human endurance. The track ends establishing a raw and dirty feel for the album before quickly moving onto lyrics exposing discomfort with religion and lust for social satisfaction.
`The Dull Flame of Desire' is a duet borrowing the equally unique voice of Anthony Hegarty from the up and coming jazz ballad act `Anthony and the Johnsons.' An ominous orchestra introduces lush interlaced vocals which raises tension to the point where the tribal sound of drums dominates. This particular track is a showcase for Bjorks ability to use rich harmony, creating moments of magic which surface throughout the record.
Clever instrumentation throughout, Volta boasts an array of electronic noises and merges them with traditional styles collected from around the world. The track `I See Who You Are' is a welcome return to intimacy, with imagery bringing the lyrics to life. A pipa (Chinese lute) skilfully played provides the exotic escapism needed to warm the senses. This imagery quickly clouds over as the album turns dark, yet still encapsulating the listener with the sound of the unknown.
A philosophical Bjork embarks on an understanding of free will and evil, with a painstakingly honest approach to discussing suicide bombings in a musical context. Latter track `Declare Independance' braves political ground as the singer takes a stance against colonial powers, with distorted kickdrums punching her point across. The album closes with `My Juvenile,' a maternal offering of love to her son. This track sees the return of Anthony Hegarty and ensures the album ends on a sombre yet peaceful tone, albeit sweetly melancholic.
Volta contrasts heavily to the soft and luscious feel of its predecessors `Medulla' (2004) and `Vespertine,' (2001) opting to pursue more impressionable sounds and heavier rhythms. The constant dynamics in the mood of the album makes for an intense rollercoaster journey. Sometimes boisterous, tense and unsettling, each word chosen carefully and highlighted appropriately, the tone unwinds, drifting into moments of tranquillity and peace, leaving the listener at its mercy.
(clickidyclickdontbethick@hotmail.com)
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Make Your Own Flag, 10 May 2007
As those who have seen the making-of video for Medulla's "Triumph of a Heart" will already know, Björk's approach to songwriting frequently involves throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. Her approach to albums is similar, to the extent that it is sometimes difficult to decide what constitutes a "real" Björk album. Selmasongs was focused and impressive, but very short. Drawing Restraint 9 was full length but, given such oddball inclusions as ten minutes of Japanese Noh, it hardly felt like the spiritual successor of Debut and Post. With Volta, however, we are at least back in the comfort zone again: this is her most conventional album since Vespertine, and arguably her most conventional since 1997's Homogenic.
Relatively speaking, of course.
Once you get the discs out of their preposterous packaging (one aspect of the production where further quirkiness is not to be encouraged) everything else runs surprisingly close to plan. The brass is back, underpinned by fog horns that add an organic and atmospheric dimension to the bass range. The unmistakable vocals of Antony provide an emotional intimacy that Björk's own melodic inventions sometimes lack, strengthening two ballads here and giving a greater sense of coherence. The introduction of kora, clavichord and (especially) pipa provides those flashes of instrumental colour that Björk so shrewdly interleaves with the customary percussion loops (although personally I miss the bells that added such sensuality to her recent albums). Generally speaking, everything sounds back on course.
Björk's commitment to surround mixes, after the excellent Surrounded boxed set, is clear, and the surround mix on the DVD (again by Paul Walton) is exactly what one would hope for, although the visuals are virtually non-existent and most listeners will probably just turn their television off rather than put up with them.
Despite the fact that this is a good Björk album, however, I am left with the sense that its weaknesses are almost as conspicuous as its strengths. Tracks such as "Earth Intruders" and "Declare Independence" have a mood-shattering brashness about them that forcibly reminds the listener that while her techniques involve intensive studio trickery, Björk's aesthetic roots are in the punk movement with its insatiable thirst for noise and provocation.
Björk remains as one of the most relentless sonic experimenters: capable of extreme beauty and unapologetic ugliness. The question is ultimately not whether the album is good enough ... the question is whether we are good enough listeners to appreciate it.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another triumph from this restless pioneer, 1 May 2007
Long term fans of Bjork have learnt to expect the unexpected, and look forward to the twists and turns her career have taken, or at least I do. Volta continues this trend comfortably. Following 2004's fantastic Medulla, which was constructed nearly entirely from the human voice, Volta celebrates instrumentation in various forms, from militant rhythmes, pounding techno and beautifully folorn brass. And whilst her last two albums proper have had a more meticulous, subdued feel, Volta prickles with an urgency we haven't heard since the crunching electronica of Homogenic, ten years ago. This in part is thanks to her diverse selection of collaborators, from Timbaland, Konono No 1 and noise-favourites Lightning Bolt.
But, as always, this feels like a Bjork album through and through. Her voice is as strong and idiosyncratic as ever, and the choices of musical direction feel entirely hers. Few artists can pluck out so many other strong talents for help and still sound undeniably like themselves.
Highlights then. "Declare Independence" blew me away. A burst of feral anger reminiscent of "Pluto" from Homogenic, pounding and relentless, it left me breathless and I was compelled to listen to it again on first listen. "Earth Intruders" is a very strong opening, and duet with Antony Hegarty "Dull Flame Of Desire" doesn't outstay it's seven-plus minute run time by a second.
Bjork hasn't sounded like she's having this much fun since "Post" and it's infectious. So yes, Volta is another triumph. Personally speaking I still prefer Homogenic and Medulla, but Bjork albums tend to grow over time I find. At the end of the day, this is another fine addition to 2007's already impressive run of fantastic albums. Looks like being a very fine year.
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