Bjork - Medulla
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CD Details
Artist: BjorkBrand: Elektra
Edition: Music CD
Format: Limited Edition
CD Release Date: 2004-08-31
Music Label: Elektra / Wea
Soundtracks:
- Pleasure Is All Mine - Bjork
- Show Me Forgiveness - Bjork
- Where Is The Line - Bjork
- Vokuro - Bjork
- Oll Birtan
- Who is it (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)
- Submarine
- Sonnets/Unrealities XI
- Desired Contellation
- Piano II
- Mouths Cradle
- Wednesday (Midvikudags)
- Triumph Of A Heart
- Oceania
Music reviews of Medulla
Music Review: Bjork's most avant garde aurual journey to date
Rating: 4 Stars
This CD is Bjork's most avant garde aurual journey to date. The best way to describe it is to compare it to her previous album 'Vespertine' since that is a stepping stone to this album.
New fans be warned, if you haven't heard Bjork before this might be a bad place to start checking her out but current fans, put your seatbelts on.
The bulk of this cd is very acapella like and the songs rely strongly on chorus that is sometimes interwoven into the actual song itself. Beats are at a minimal either volume wise or composition wise. Although the rich samples Bjork is infamous for are here. All those complex bass samples fill virtually every track but they're very laid back and mellow, compared with her previous albums.
Track by track review:
1. Pleaseure is all Mine - The song starts with a chorus (all Bjork) and quickly she starts singing. The song has a soft and slow feel and some soft bass sneaks it's way into the song. The beat is actually composed of vocal samples altered through a synthesizer so they sound proper. A men's chorus works it's way into the song later on and this song comes off very nicely with emotion.
2. Show me Forgiveness - This track is totally acapella, nothing but Bjork's voice with a soft echo. She actually does a nice job and Bjork's singing has improved over the years and it is to the point where she can carry a song with only her voice.
3. Where is the Line - This is the first full blown song on the album and it's very avant garde innovative. There is this bizarre but catching bass hit that sounds like it was composed from a guy's voice. A spooky chorus pops in and overall this song has an evil frientening sound to it that I enjoy. One of my personal favorites from this album.
4. Vokuro - Another acapella track here. It's just Bjork singing in her native tongue but this time she's accomponied with a haunting chorus. The track comes off very nicely and even if you don't understand her language, you will still enjoy this track.
5. Oll Birtan - Yet again another acapella track. This time it's 3 layers of bjork singing and it's hard to focus in on any specific track to figure out what she's saying. I didn't like this track but it's a nice short 1:55 so you don't have to deal with it for long.
6. Who is it - another full blown song (how few there are on this album). As always a slow intro and after half a minute some spooky synths work their way in and quickly some soft but chaotic breakbeat type beats come in. Some interesting note changes occur in here with the melody. I do like this track although it's just a step below 'Where is the Line'.
7. Oceania - starts out with a male humming and more males come in and start to sing. They actually go on to sing the song and it sounds as if Bjork is in there hiding with them. Eventually she does sing in the song. Yet again another acapella as it's purely voices.
8. Submarine - Another full blown song, this song has a sexy beat with some rich bass samples that sound as if they are reworked vocal sounds. The chorus takes some real interesting "ahhhhh" up and down the note scale. The singing is pretty simple here, no crazy choruses like some Bjork songs and she only belches a couple notes. Overall I like this track as it's interesting.
9. Sonnet / Unrealitiies IX - Starts with a chord sample that loops with a lot of clicks and pops. I don't know if this was intenional or not as some other groups (Postal Service) have released a song that did this also. There's never a beat per say but later on some bass sneaks in now and then with the chord. I like this track as it's a minimal piece of work.
10. Desired Constellation - Another acapella track with just Bjork and a chorus. Honestly by this time in the album I've gotten a little tired of beat-less songs with the only melody coming from the chorus or Bjork. It's a well made track, but I think Bjork is overdueing this new style she's playing with.
11. Ancestors - some sad piano work with a vocal sample that sounds like weeping in reverse. It's actually a nice track until half way through when some bizarre breathing sample like a tortured animal kicks in, it changes but stays throughout the entire song, pretty much ruining it.
12. Mouth's Cradle - this song possibly sums up this album all together. Bjork with a chorus and some good bass work, yet again vocal inspired. You'll be surprised how many of the samples are actually from somebody's mouth but manipulated to form a beat.
13. Mivikudags - Yet again a song with 2 or 3 layers of Bjork singing making it hard to focus on what she's saying, if she's even singing english. This track is better than her earlier attempt of this. There is a bit of bassy noise in the background this time.
14. Trimph of the Heart - the most bizarre but my favorite track from this album. There is some really wierd beat boxing (making beats from the mouth) and this track has almost a hip hop feel to it. It actualy an interesting track even though it's also very wierd.
Overall I'd say Bjork really went off the deep end for this album. I think this will be a love it or hate it album, there is no middle ground. If you really liked 'Vespertine' then I think you will like this album as it takes 'Vespertine' to the extreme. If you disliked that album, I think you will absolutely hate this album.
Description of Medulla
Bjork is one of the most recognized stars in the world. She has sold millions of copies of her groundbreaking albums, she is an icon of cutting edge style, and she has received worldwide acclaim as an actress. Medulla, Bjork's first new studio album in three years, finds her delving deeper than ever before into her haunting and exhilarating sound and vision. Innovative as always, Bjork has this time built the songs on Medulla entirely from vocal tracks, with no insturments appearnig on the album, creating a soundscape unlike anything you've ever heard before. Special guests include Rahzel from The Roots, Mike Patton of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, an Inuit throat singer, an Icelandic choir, the world's greatest human beatboxes and more. The limited edition will feature a slipcase, a four-panel gatefold digipak, and a 32-panel four color poster.Normally, an artist such as Bjork with a mass audience across the globe steadily eases off as the back-catalog starts to grow. However, Medulla, the fifth proper studio album from Bjork is without a doubt the most challenging collection of music she has ever released. For the most part, the album is made up of layers upon layers of processed vocal parts arranged in either harmony or dissonance such as "Vokuro" and "Oll Birtan," respectively. Some, such as "Show Me Forgiveness" are simple acapella, the aforementioned sounding like a vocal cut from Debut minus the music. Another echo of Bjork days gone by is "Desired Constellation," a slow trancy pulse underpinning her distinct vocals. "Where Is the Line," "Who Is It," and "Triumph of a Heart" are a bit grimier with a semi-urban twist, the latter a fantastically funky beatbox number with an outstanding introduction, the closest moment to a pop song appearing on Medulla. Although traditional instruments and breaks have been removed from this album, Medulla is no great departure for Bjork but in a sense it is radically different from any of her previous work. Some will love it, some hate it, and some just won't be sure what to think. --David Trueman
Amazon.com Special Content
An Interview with Björk
Björk shared her thoughts about the directions she is taking with Medulla in our Amazon.com interview.
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