By David Sanabria
Columnist/FIUSM Staff
Icelandic singer Björk is known for her varied discography, featuring sounds that originate from an array of cultures, musical styles and creative minds. Her vision and collaborations have led to several stunning albums, each of which is a departure from the preceding release. She is an artist who is unafraid of creating bizarre and seemingly unorthodox music.
For 2015, Björk intrigues our ears with “Vulnicura,” a trip into her gloomy landscape
. The 9-track album features Venezuelan-born producer and Kanye West collaborator Arca. The album deals with her thoughts and emotions shortly after the breakup with visual artist Matthew Barney.
The album begins with opener “Stonemilker.” This track contains a steady buildup which evolves into grandiose instrumentation. A full orchestra plays while Björk clearly conveys her emotions through her lyrics; the same as she always has. The second track, “Lionsong,” features Björk’s modulated voice over Arca’s sublime beats and some soothing violins. She announces “Maybe he will come out of this” which alludes to Barney.
10-minute track “Black Lake” illustrates the vocalist at her lowest. The beats, which include some of the darkest pulsing rhythms on the album, complements Björk’s somber poetry. “Notget” sounds like a bonus track from her 2007 album “Volta,” that is, until Arca introduces an apocalyptic synthesizer. The song later dissolves into near anarchy, displaying one of the highlights of Björk and Arca’s collaboration.
Antony, who was featured on “Volta,” makes his presence known on “Atom Dance.” His duet with the celebrated vocalist works great with the atmosphere of the album. He brings his voice, laden with effects, to meet Björk’s, and the result is a mind-bending experience that must be heard.
Already nine studio albums into her career, Björk shows no signs of quitting or running out of fresh ideas. The songs are fascinating, complex and immersive. Her willingness to work with forward-thinking artists, both for the music and the album artwork, leads her vision into innovative directions. “Vulnicura” displays her desire to experiment, a drive found in her previous works. This is her best album since “Vespertine.”
4/5
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