Björk - Medúlla
Björk is one of those artists whose work you either love or hate; it’s unusual to be indifferent to her. And she’s never predictable. I happen to love much of her work, and I think she’s a stunning jewel among the interchangeably bland voices that make up the majority of mainstream music. Medúlla is an unusual albumâeven by her standardsâas it’s almost entirely composed of voices (there is some percussion and a tiny amount of synthesised material). If that has just brought horrible memories of The Flying Pickets into your mind, you needn’t worryâit’s nothing like that.
Medúlla makes you marvel at the sheer range of sounds that the human voice is capable of creating. There are beautifully sweet choral melodies, grunts, growls, pants, breathy sounds, shrieks and hums. ‘Vökuró’ and ‘Oceania’ probably come the closest to sounding like conventional pieces. On the former, the Icelandic Choir create an almost spiritual feel, but even the most outlandish songs capture the same feeling, like listening to a Shaman chanting, or just the ordinary magic of listening to someone you love breathing. ‘Submarine’ (featuring Robert Wyatt) is frankly bonkers, but grows on me more each time I listen to it, with breath sounds and deep drone chanting.
I hadn’t really heard ‘Oceania’ before (I didn’t watch the Olympics), and it struck me how sinister it sounds now after the tsunami:
one breath away from mother oceania … you show me continents - i see islands you count the centuries - i blink my eyes hawks and sparrows race in my waters stingrays are floating across the sky little ones - my sons and my daughters your sweat is salty i am why
If I had to pick a favourite track, I think it would be ‘Mouth’s Cradle’, which is underlain by gutteral percussion of gulps, buzzing and weird alien sounds. Over the top, the Icelandic Choir produce a mellifluous bell-like chiming, through which Björk weaves the lyrics and melody. It’s quite brilliant, and unlike anything else I’ve ever heard.
Another brilliant and maddening aspect of this album is the liner notes. At first I thought that most of the pages were blank and black, until I happened to tilt the page to the light just so and noticed that the titles and lyrics are printed in slightly more glossy black on a glossy black page. It felt like being party to a thrilling secret, but at the same time drove me crazy. How would anyone with worse eyesight than me manage to read it?
I suppose the same goes for all the music I rave about, but if you are thinking about getting this album, do have a listen to it first. I don’t want anyone complaining to me that they bought it and found that they hated itâI did warn you.
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I've only listened to it a couple of times, and I'm generally a big Bjork fan, but I'm only at the stage of admiring the craft than really loving the ablum yet. I took the plunge to replace my copy of Vespertine on CD for a DVD-A, not that i have a DVD A player yet, but having the 5.1 version belting the choir out from all over the room is quite something. I think Medulla would prove to be much the same...----- Oh! I take it this is new then? I'll check it out. Thanks for the review.
by Stuart @ 06/02/2005 8:02 pm • Permalink •
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This sounds . . . fabulous.
But then, I like Meredith Monk.
Thanks for the heads up.
by SB @ 06/02/2005 9:03 pm • Permalink •
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Birchscrub: It certainly took a few listens for me to get into it too. I think listening on headphones helps, because it's so rich and intimate. I've got Verspertine too, and really grew to love that. It's certainly not the kind of album you put on as background listening.
Stuart: Fairly new. I think it was released about half way through 2004.
SB: It is - in my opinion
And thanks for mentioning Meredith Monk. I had it in mind to mention her in the review as the only vaguely comparable artist, but totally forgot.
by bsag @ 06/02/2005 10:02 pm • Permalink •
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I'm a big fan of that album as well. We've had at the radio station I work at for some time, and I've made a point of playing most of it.
I'd have to say my favorite track on there is 'Triumph Of A Heart.'
by Jim @ 07/02/2005 11:02 pm • Permalink •
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I´m positive that i would hate the album, but you make it sound sooo good and interestingthat i find myself resisting the urge to rush out and by it. Sigh. Get thee behind me Satan, and keep up the good work.
by john @ 08/02/2005 9:03 am • Permalink •
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<!-- spamk : Used HTTP_VIA header. --> <!-- spamk : Execution took: -0.415434 seconds --> <!-- spamk : KARMA: -2 --> <!-- spamk : Treatment: purgatory --> i find it a little disturbing at first, but somehow i love the way she uses her voice as instruments. and the icelandic choir lends a somewhat gothic feling to it.
by that person @ 08/02/2005 11:02 am • Permalink •
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I'm a Björk fan, myself. My reaction to the album, thus far, has been mixed. I've loved the more traditionally structured stuff--"Oceania," for instance--but there are other tracks that have left me cold. Tracks like "Ãll Birtan" and "Ancestors" seemed too self-consciously arty. Maybe I just need to sit down and give them more of my full attention--as you say, it's not background listening--but still, I just couldn't make any gut-level connection with them. It would be meaningless to declare it 'failed art,' but it's definitely art that I don't get and haven't yet felt like working hard enough to figure out.
On the other hand: the black-on-black liner notes are a crime against humanity, and the design folks responsible should be beaten. Now that is self-indulgent artiness. I have a sneaking suspicion that Ms. Gudmundsdóttir herself had a lot to do with that idea, but my love for her music will not save her.
by Andrew Willett @ 08/02/2005 11:02 pm • Permalink •
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I'm a Björk fan, too, but I bought the album not because of her but because of Mike Patton. His creativity and diversity continues to impress me. It took me some time to get into the music, but you're right: headphones definitely make a difference there.
by Nathan @ 09/02/2005 6:02 pm • Permalink •
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Since we're doing favourites, I'll just add that I think "Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)" is a fantastic song: about the closest one to a "pop" song on the album, with a chorus which is uplifting and sing-a-longable.
by David @ 09/02/2005 8:02 pm • Permalink •
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I love the album. Not on every day, but if you're in the right mood it is shere genius, with so much to discover, even after many, many listenings. (It's been out here in the UK for quite a while now.)
Can't really say which is my favourite track. Even tracks that I absolutely hated initially (Submarine for example) are growing on me, and I discover passages of immense beauty. Desired Constellation is similar. I really like it now. Pleasure Is All Mine, Where is the Line, Vokuro, Oceania, Mouth's Cradle. But each song has something that is very well worth getting into.
If you want you can check out a more detailed opinion by clicking on my web link.
by Andy @ 19/02/2005 9:02 pm • Permalink •
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I'm a big fan of Björk's music. Medúlla really took some getting used to, but then it's not the first album of hers to grow on you over time. My initial reaction was this is wierd. Having listened to it repeatedly over the past month I find myself enjoying it even more. The way the different sounds/voices interact. It sounds good and it is very cleverly done.
That said I think my favourite track is remains Triumph of a Heart. It made me laugh the first time I heard it and it still makes me smile now.
by senjaz @ 09/03/2005 1:04 pm • Permalink •
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