Amazon.co.uk Review
Headline-grabbing personal upheavals turn into introspective surges on
Homogenic, the third album by Icelandic singer Björk. Driven inward after a bizarre year accented by a much publicised mail bomb, airport cat fight and brawl between ex-lovers Tricky and Goldie, Björk gets lost in a wash of strings and minimalist techno patterns on her latest outing. The eccentricity and stylistic schizophrenia of
Debut and
Post have been cast away in favour of darker, more sublime edginess. Filled with songs about paranoia, heartbreak and lost faith,
Homogenic not only showcases more mature themes, but a more uniform mood. Notch that up to Björk's decision to produce the album herself. Aside from a few nominal collaborations with Mark Bell of obscure techno outfit LFO and the Icelandic String Octet, this is the purest representation of the artist's vision. Little did we know that such a quirky personality would have such a bleak world view.
Homogenic is almost too heavy to take in sitting, and songs, like the grating "Pluto", are downright unlistenable. But there are moments of inspiration that burn through the dark clouds, particularly on the contemplative "Joga" and the uplifting "Bachelorette".
--Aidin Vaziri
CD Description
As one of modern music's most enigmatic and consistently entertaining personalities, Bjork has never shied away from the edge. Whether making straight ahead dance music, exploratory modern rock, or even show-tune-calibre drama, her vision has always remained innovative and original. Her voice jumps, in the space of a syllable, from a kitten-like purr to a banshee's howl, and is never anything less than captivating. HOMOGENIC, her latest musical endeavor, finds her plunging headlong into electronica, a form well-suited to her intense,offbeat phrasing and tone.
From the skittering breakbeats and ghostly wails of the opening "Hunter" to the all-out electronic crash that is "Pluto", HOMOGENIC explores the melding of human and machine. The drama of "Bachlorette" finds alush, rich string section following a tripping electronic beat, giving way to the Icelandic wonder's trademark wail. The juxtaposition of thoroughly modern sounds with conventional elements, such as symphonic arrangements, pipe organ, and accordion, form a central theme, to which HOMOGENIC's title undoubtedly refers. On HOMOGENIC, the traditional and the technological find their meeting point in Bjork's soaring, otherworldly voice.
![Homogenic [MINIDISC]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JSKCVQRXL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
