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Björk stays eclectic, adds hard beats

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Also by Marilynn Johnson:

Björk stays eclectic, adds hard beats (May 10, 2007)
Dancing in the Street (May 3, 2007)
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by Marilynn Johnson

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Björk's latest album, Volta, is a challenging listen. Like all abstract art, it takes some getting used to.

The Icelandic singer may be better known to the general public for her swan Oscar dress than for her sounds, but on this latest release, she collaborates with popular producer Timbaland — who is known for working with Missy Elliott and Justin Timberlake — on many of the songs, thus increasing the likelihood that the release of this album will catch the interest of a wider audience.

On the other hand, maybe Björk doesn't want it to.

Her sound definitely is not something that someone could like after one listen on the radio. This is the kind of album you need to listen to 10 times, at which point its hauntingly unique sounds will get stuck in your head, sort of like when you get a taste for a strange food that you don't know why you are compelled to seek out but do (for this reviewer, it's ahi tuna).

Despite Timbaland's influence on this latest album, it seems the sounds are still too unusual to appeal to anything but an esoteric audience who is willing to listen to something that seems shocking and strange long enough to give it a chance and get used to its unusual sound.

Those who are familiar with Björk's work may be surprised with the thought of her voice on top of a Timbaland-style beat, as can be heard on "Earth Intruders," the album's first song. This song is a choppy mix of funky beats, Björk's haunting voice and high-pitched tonal singing, which ends up feeling a little disjointed and schizophrenic, albeit peppy and interesting to listen to.

On "Innocence," the album's fourth track, Timbaland's presence is the most prevalent and reminiscent of his beats on Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds. The song begins with a bombastic "dun dun BAH!" beat, which combines video game-inspired electronic synthesizer with a manly groan punctuating every few seconds. Björk's voice plays along with the rhythm and certainly isn't the focus in the song. High-pitched scratchy space beam sounds balance out the low beat and Björk's mid-toned vocals.

Contrasted with the heavy Timbaland beats of some of the songs are the sounds created when Björk timidly sings along with an all-female Icelandic brass band on songs like "Pneumonia" and "Wonderland." These sparse, raw songs allow Björk's voice to be highlighted, putting the listener into a relaxed, trancelike mood. The organic sounds of the brass instruments are combined with tinny electronic pulsations on "Wonderland," which come together in a perfect balance providing the shortcake and whipped cream to Björk's strawberries. As the song develops, the sounds become increasingly fast and manipulated, taking the listener on an increasingly intense journey. The singer's initially natural and sweet voice soon becomes broken up, electronic and echoed.

On "The Dull Flame of Desire," Björk collaborates with Antony Hegardy of Antony and the Johnsons, whose falsetto voice is strange enough to be able to stand up to Björk's hallow, abrupt, but lingering tone. The two are accompanied by the sounds of brass instruments and understated beats, making for an epic love ballad with lyrics: "When my love's eyes are lowered/ When all is fired by passion's kiss/ And through the downcast lashes/ I see the dull flame of desire" on this seven-minute-and-30-second track.

The unexpected mix of Björk's already unique voice, Timbaland's heavy popular beats, Antony's falsetto singing and the all-female brass band Volta somehow manages to hold itself together. Björk's voice is distinctive enough that despite the variety of songs on this album, it is enough to provide a unifying thread throughout.

Don't expect to hear any of these songs on the radio soon, but for listeners who are willing to devote the time to go through the process from at first being weirded out by the strange sounds, this album will reward them for the effort. The eclectic, challenging sounds of this album ensure that once it grows on you, it will take a very long time to get old because you will still have to be digesting and processing this complicated, multidimensional album.

Grade: 4 out of 5

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Anonymous (May 10, 2007 @ 4:48pm):

mmm..... brilliant review, especially the bit to compare Volta to a piece of abstract art. At this moment i still can't tell whethter this album is my favourite or not, but some chemical reaction has started to take place. Dull Flame of fire is hooking... the out of breath feeling of the song(actually i prefer to see it as poem chanting) lingers and quite romantic...

btw, it is "Wanderlust" not "Wonderland" ;P

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