NEW Björk!
Wow! News came thick and fast the last couple of days when you checked for Bjork's new album Volta. Let me just quickly summarize as by now there's even a review available of it!
First off, the cover:
I think it's my fave cover of hers so far. Yay!
Second, the apparent tracklist:
VOLTA (48:52)
01. Earth Intruders (4:30)
02. Wanderlust (5:4Cool
03. Dull Flame (7:32)
04. Innocence (4:14)
05. I See Who You Are (4:22)
06. Vertabrae (5:00)
07. Pneumonia (5:14)
08. Hope (3:39)
09. Declare Independence (4:16)
10. My Juvenile (4:05)
Third, the actual review (source):
First of all: OMG how COOL is the new album?!?!?!!!?!!??!!?
To sort of get a taste of what I like and dislike in terms of Björk music: my favorite Björk album is Homogenic. I also really love Post and Vespertine. I was rather disappointed with Medúlla (especially when she didn't include the KICK-ASS original version of Where Is The Line with the beats+strings). When I heard Medúlla I thought Oceania was really cool but I thought the rest of the album was really 'difficult'.
Volta is more approachable, the Antony tracks work really well. I heard the album once and then I played Earth Intruders again because it's such a cool song. I should have played Declare Independence again because it kicked ass. but it's also very very noisy and I didn't want to annoy the other people in the office...*Smile*
- the version I heard was 48 minutes and 52 seconds
- I heard the mastered version of the album, but it's not the version that is going to be released; track order could still change, songs will fade into each other with sound effects (this is EXACTLY the info that is available at the record company)
- there is NO official album cover at the (dutch) record company as of yet
- LOTS and LOTS of brass and this bouzouki/harp/harpsichord-like instrument
- the Timbaland tracks KICK ASS
- NO STRINGS (NONE AT ALL)
- 2 tracks with Antony (from Antony & the Johnsons)
01. Earth Intruders (4:30)
Obviously a Timbaland track. Think Nelly Furtado's Maneater - only COOLER and Björk-ified. REALLY cool song, excellent way to start the album, very upbeat. There are these brazilian-type beats and cool synths. Seriously, Maneater is your best point of reference.
Lyrics:
"We are the earth intruders / We are the sharp shooters"
02. Wanderlust (5:40)
Another upbeat song. This has BRASS and the beats are more synthetic, less heavy. The song ends with a trumpet loop and Björk whispering, then goes into bleeps and what sounded like MORSE code.
Lyrics:
"I have lost my origin and I want to find it again
Wanderlust, relentlessly craving"
"Until we get to the core"
03. Dull Flame (7:32)
This song has a brass intro, Antony joins Björk on vocals. The combination works incredibly well. I only got to hear half of the song, then the stream (I wasn't listening to a CD but an internet stream) sort of cut out. Bummer. Lyrics:
"I love your eyes, my dear / Their splendid sparkling fire"
"Like lightning flashing in the sky/ but there's a charm that is greater still"
04. Innocence (4:14)
Definitely another Timbaland track. This and Earth Intruders is as close to hip hop as Björk is ever going to get *Smile*. Lots of singing about 'fear' and being 'fearless'. Interesting drums, could be a beatbox, and synth. I couldn't hear any 'real' (acoustical) instruments.
Lyrics:
"It is still here, but in different places"
"Should I save myself for later, or generously give"
05. I See Who You Are (4:22)
Opens with kora, followed by cute bleepy noises. Laid back track, no beats, very pretty. The brass section comes in around 3-and-a-half minutes into the song. Could be about her daughter. Lyrics:
"I see who you are, behind the skin and the muscles
I see who you are now, and when you get older later
I will see the same girl, the same soul, lioness, fireheart"
06. Vertabrae (5:06)
The stream for this song didn't work, so I couldn't hear it *Sad* Believe me, I tried a whole bunch of times.
07. Pneumonia (5:14)
Brass opening... Laid-back slow brass&vocal song.
Lyrics:
"You can trust in it, unless you breathe in"
"I adore how you (aah) simply (aah) surrender to high"
"And your lungs, they're mourning, teepee style
All the stillborn love that could have happened
all the moments you should have embraced"
08. Hope (3:39)
Beats + kora. Lots of repetetive lyrics. I think this song is really about the tsunami and mother nature and stuff. Lyrics:
"Here's my version of it, eternal whirlwind"
"Nature has fixed no limits on our hopes"
09. Declare Independence (4:16)
OMG how cool is this song. Very very electronic, lots of noise, distorted noise, just NOISE. Incredibly cool and gets louder and heavier by the minute. Turns into a real punk track that reminded me of PJ Harvey (not that I'm a big PJ Harvey fan). This song is SOOO going to kick ass live. Bjork is just yelling and everything. Return to form, return to form, y'all! Razz Lyrics:
"Declare imdependence / Don't let them do that to you"
"Start your own currency / make your own stamp
Protect your language / raise your flag"
10. My Juvenile (4:05)
OK so I was talking to someone at the record company during this track, so I was distracted. Nice song with Antony and it also has kora on it again.
Overall definitely a cool album which is more approachable than Medúlla. I wouldn't call it 'pop' but Earth Intruders is Björk's most commercial tracks in years (but STILL so unique sounding). I was really afraid of her collaboration with Timbaland but it worked out REALLY well. And the Antony contributions are also spot-on, I hope he'll join her for some shows.
----
From what I've read I guess it will either be among my top 5 albums of the year OR a big disappointment....LOL. No seriously, it seems that the collaboration between Björk and Timbaland evoked something beyond awesomeness. Can't wait for the release (May 7th), really!!!
Oh, PS, this is what Björk said in an interview about how she would reflect on her inspirations for the new album (I guess):
"I am, like many people, quite upset about how things are in the world now, and while I am a musician, I wanted to maybe be a spokesperson for the people in the street, who are pretty pissed off in general. I am just one of all these voices, and the fact that somebody like me has had enough shows you it is a pretty intense time we live in. Emotionally, I was just really, really hungry for something quite full-bloodied and visceral." .... *bows*
Last but not least, Björk also announced some dates for an upcoming world tour on her Official Site!
First off, the cover:
I think it's my fave cover of hers so far. Yay!
Second, the apparent tracklist:
VOLTA (48:52)
01. Earth Intruders (4:30)
02. Wanderlust (5:4Cool
03. Dull Flame (7:32)
04. Innocence (4:14)
05. I See Who You Are (4:22)
06. Vertabrae (5:00)
07. Pneumonia (5:14)
08. Hope (3:39)
09. Declare Independence (4:16)
10. My Juvenile (4:05)
Third, the actual review (source):
First of all: OMG how COOL is the new album?!?!?!!!?!!??!!?
To sort of get a taste of what I like and dislike in terms of Björk music: my favorite Björk album is Homogenic. I also really love Post and Vespertine. I was rather disappointed with Medúlla (especially when she didn't include the KICK-ASS original version of Where Is The Line with the beats+strings). When I heard Medúlla I thought Oceania was really cool but I thought the rest of the album was really 'difficult'.
Volta is more approachable, the Antony tracks work really well. I heard the album once and then I played Earth Intruders again because it's such a cool song. I should have played Declare Independence again because it kicked ass. but it's also very very noisy and I didn't want to annoy the other people in the office...*Smile*
- the version I heard was 48 minutes and 52 seconds
- I heard the mastered version of the album, but it's not the version that is going to be released; track order could still change, songs will fade into each other with sound effects (this is EXACTLY the info that is available at the record company)
- there is NO official album cover at the (dutch) record company as of yet
- LOTS and LOTS of brass and this bouzouki/harp/harpsichord-like instrument
- the Timbaland tracks KICK ASS
- NO STRINGS (NONE AT ALL)
- 2 tracks with Antony (from Antony & the Johnsons)
01. Earth Intruders (4:30)
Obviously a Timbaland track. Think Nelly Furtado's Maneater - only COOLER and Björk-ified. REALLY cool song, excellent way to start the album, very upbeat. There are these brazilian-type beats and cool synths. Seriously, Maneater is your best point of reference.
Lyrics:
"We are the earth intruders / We are the sharp shooters"
02. Wanderlust (5:40)
Another upbeat song. This has BRASS and the beats are more synthetic, less heavy. The song ends with a trumpet loop and Björk whispering, then goes into bleeps and what sounded like MORSE code.
Lyrics:
"I have lost my origin and I want to find it again
Wanderlust, relentlessly craving"
"Until we get to the core"
03. Dull Flame (7:32)
This song has a brass intro, Antony joins Björk on vocals. The combination works incredibly well. I only got to hear half of the song, then the stream (I wasn't listening to a CD but an internet stream) sort of cut out. Bummer. Lyrics:
"I love your eyes, my dear / Their splendid sparkling fire"
"Like lightning flashing in the sky/ but there's a charm that is greater still"
04. Innocence (4:14)
Definitely another Timbaland track. This and Earth Intruders is as close to hip hop as Björk is ever going to get *Smile*. Lots of singing about 'fear' and being 'fearless'. Interesting drums, could be a beatbox, and synth. I couldn't hear any 'real' (acoustical) instruments.
Lyrics:
"It is still here, but in different places"
"Should I save myself for later, or generously give"
05. I See Who You Are (4:22)
Opens with kora, followed by cute bleepy noises. Laid back track, no beats, very pretty. The brass section comes in around 3-and-a-half minutes into the song. Could be about her daughter. Lyrics:
"I see who you are, behind the skin and the muscles
I see who you are now, and when you get older later
I will see the same girl, the same soul, lioness, fireheart"
06. Vertabrae (5:06)
The stream for this song didn't work, so I couldn't hear it *Sad* Believe me, I tried a whole bunch of times.
07. Pneumonia (5:14)
Brass opening... Laid-back slow brass&vocal song.
Lyrics:
"You can trust in it, unless you breathe in"
"I adore how you (aah) simply (aah) surrender to high"
"And your lungs, they're mourning, teepee style
All the stillborn love that could have happened
all the moments you should have embraced"
08. Hope (3:39)
Beats + kora. Lots of repetetive lyrics. I think this song is really about the tsunami and mother nature and stuff. Lyrics:
"Here's my version of it, eternal whirlwind"
"Nature has fixed no limits on our hopes"
09. Declare Independence (4:16)
OMG how cool is this song. Very very electronic, lots of noise, distorted noise, just NOISE. Incredibly cool and gets louder and heavier by the minute. Turns into a real punk track that reminded me of PJ Harvey (not that I'm a big PJ Harvey fan). This song is SOOO going to kick ass live. Bjork is just yelling and everything. Return to form, return to form, y'all! Razz Lyrics:
"Declare imdependence / Don't let them do that to you"
"Start your own currency / make your own stamp
Protect your language / raise your flag"
10. My Juvenile (4:05)
OK so I was talking to someone at the record company during this track, so I was distracted. Nice song with Antony and it also has kora on it again.
Overall definitely a cool album which is more approachable than Medúlla. I wouldn't call it 'pop' but Earth Intruders is Björk's most commercial tracks in years (but STILL so unique sounding). I was really afraid of her collaboration with Timbaland but it worked out REALLY well. And the Antony contributions are also spot-on, I hope he'll join her for some shows.
----
From what I've read I guess it will either be among my top 5 albums of the year OR a big disappointment....LOL. No seriously, it seems that the collaboration between Björk and Timbaland evoked something beyond awesomeness. Can't wait for the release (May 7th), really!!!
Oh, PS, this is what Björk said in an interview about how she would reflect on her inspirations for the new album (I guess):
"I am, like many people, quite upset about how things are in the world now, and while I am a musician, I wanted to maybe be a spokesperson for the people in the street, who are pretty pissed off in general. I am just one of all these voices, and the fact that somebody like me has had enough shows you it is a pretty intense time we live in. Emotionally, I was just really, really hungry for something quite full-bloodied and visceral." .... *bows*
Last but not least, Björk also announced some dates for an upcoming world tour on her Official Site!