Do I LOVE Bjork Yet?: "Vulnicura" (2015)

Hello everyone and welcome to the latest miniseries called Do I LOVE Bjork Yet? Over the course of the next week, I will run through all eight of the Icelandic singer's solo albums and determine if she is in fact more than just a weird little performer with an equally strange voice. This will also feature a continual ranking of each entry as well as various thoughts on the music and occasionally production of her work. This is all leading up to her latest album "Vulnicura," which has been receiving critical praise. But will I LOVE it? Tune in every day to find out.

Album: "Vulnicura"

Released: January 20, 2015

Label: One Little Indian, Megaforce

Running Time: 58:36

Track Listing:

1. Stonemilker

2. Lionsong

3. History of Touches

4. Black Lake

5. Family

6. Notget

7. Atom Dance

8. Mouth Mantra

9. Quicksand

Expectations: Unlike the past few, I'm choosing to go into this album blindly and not read any of the reviews or any additional information. I feel like it will help me to better understand this album, which already is strange based on its structure. There's songs that are as long as 8 and 10 minutes, which based on my feelings of "Volta" mean that things might not be looking too good for me. Still, save for that album, she has been a predominantly consistent presence in a way that makes me engaged in her music. I am curious to see if this stands any chance of being good because I have faith in it, but I also worry that longer songs means more room for lull.

Best Song: "Black Lake"

If there's something that could even qualify as a magnum opus from Bjork, it likely would have this song in the running. Clocking as her longest song, it's a thrill ride of an experience managing to be both personal while embodying thematic elements in the music that speak to everything that she has been working on her entire career. It is a song, a story and something that the listener slowly becomes invested in, being jolted by the sudden shifts in tone and the heart wrenching lyrics. It is quite something to behold and may be the singular reason (in many of reasons) why this album's lengthier tracks isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Worst Song: "Lionsong"

I do honestly think that if there were Bjork fans out there complaining about my ranking (as there should be. Even I am having second thoughts on my rankings), it would likely be because upon initial listening, the slowest songs or the ones that are more minimalist end up taking the lowest spot on the rung. I don't hate this song, but on an album so ethereal, it doesn't stand out on immediate listen. I liked it, but the album as a whole starts off slowly and eventually builds to something captivating and immersing, with focus mostly on "Black Lake." 

Overall Thoughts: I must admit that this was unintentional, but it may be my least favorite Bjork album that I actually also like (speaking of, liking seven of her albums is a testament to her craft). Yes, "Volta" and "Bjork" aren't standards, but considering the journey of music that this miniseries has lead me through, I have found a lot to admire while also realizing the downfall of the project. Bjork's music isn't simply meant to be listened to. There's something participatory in the music that forces the listener to understand something deeper both lyrically and musically. She challenges the listener, which is usually preferential to repeat listenings. Speaking as I have only heard these nine albums once each, it is amazing that my revelations came in hindsight, which I'm sure this record will also achieve. I still love how "Black Lake" builds to something greater. However, my lack of enthusiasm for the album likely came from the massive overhaul of music that I have heard. She is both singular as an artist and too ambitious to properly critique, which is the downfall of the series. Still, it was a worthwhile adventure.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Do I LOVE Bjork Yet?: If I say that I really like her and have desire to go back and listen to various albums outside of a more massive listening, then maybe I will come to love her. However, there's too many shifts in tone for me to get a proper read on her as an artist. It's a gamble to pick up the album and expect one sound and get another. While it has its benefits, it may also detract from the overall experience. I really like her and I feel like this miniseries has been very worthwhile. However, I don't feel like I did her too much of a service early on and thus feel conflicted about my ratings. For now, this is how I rank the albums upon initial listening. Who knows which will go up and down as time goes on.

Ranking:

1. "Post" (1995)
2. "Debut" (1993)
3. "Vespertine" (2001)
4. "Medulla" (2004)
5. "Biophilia" (2011)
6. "Homogenic" (1997)
7. "Vulnicura" (2015)
8. "Volta" (2007)
9. "Bjork" (1977)