Björk Guðmundsdóttir is many things. She is a songwriter, she is a singer. She is a cartoonish waif of a woman with piercing, glass-shattering vocal chords. But anybody can be outrageous. Where Björk truly shines is in her talent. She exudes star quality and is most certainly among the most amazing enchanting figures in the past decade.
Hailing from Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, Björk is a veteran in the music industry. Long before she broke through to the mainstream first with the Sugarcubes and then with her own incredible solo career, she was an eleven-year-old little girl with one simple self-titled record. Years passed, and her signature growl developed. She first was a member of band KUKL, but that band by 1986 morphed into alt-rock giant Sugarcubes.
It was as a member of the Sugarcubes that Björk got her first taste of overseas fame. The band churned out a variety of hits, many of which came off of their timeless 1988 debut Life’s Too Good. But as with all great talent, Björk was restless. After just three albums with the band, she parted ways and turned inward in search of a solo career. She soon was rewarded for her efforts.
Debut, released in 1993, was an irrepressibly incredible album that exhibited her characteristic theatrical and outlandish style. Songs like Human Behavior, Big Time Sensuality and my favorite Venus As A Boy rank among her best songs. But with that said, the album was as a whole an epic journey. It presents a wonderful, fantastic, and utterly intoxicating picture of Björk. It was clear that the Icelandic chanteuse injected her heart and soul into every note and word of every song, a process that was certainly exhausting. And as such, one could only dream of an equally amazing second major release.
And sometimes dreams do come true. Post (1995, Elektra) certainly qualifies as an amazing album. It in fact ranks on numerous lists among the top albums of the last decade. This critical acclaim is not unwarranted, Björk is a unique entity. Her music is difficult to classify, and impossible to discard. In an era when the most popular bands were post-grunge schlock Björk ignored all trends and laid out her own path. With a playful glint in her eye, the Icelandic pixie crafted with seamless precision a free wielding album. And while not her best, Post is probably her most accessible album to date.
Each song builds upon the last. And considering the album opens with the masterful Army of Me, it goes without saying that what follows is more often than not amazing. A thick, ambitious, energetic, kinetic, freakin’ crazed song bordering on industrial, the track is without question one of the best of Post. But with that said, it probably is a bit too damaged and mechanical for some ears. Relax, open your ears and enjoy the track—it is hard to imagine anybody disappointed.
On the complete other end of the spectrum rests Hyper-Ballad. A light, wispy dance track it works nicely in the context of Post. And it is a good, but not great, track on its own merit. But patience brings the listener through the building rhythms of The Modern Things. Björk seems comfortable even when only sparsely supported by the electronic rhythms often typical in trip-hop. And this leaning shouldn’t come as a surprise--Björk co-opted the talent of some of the era’s best trip-hop innovators through the album including Tricky and Graham Massey.
It’s Oh So Quiet is a Technicolor, retro romp through new territory. Björk yowls, yelps, screams her way through big band territory. It is on song like this that she most clearly demonstrates her versatility and in the end musical flair. And while she didn’t write the track, it somehow fits her personality. Björk allows herself to transform into a near-cartoon figure. It is incredible the breadth of her talent.
As the album twists and turns, Enjoy represents a completely different turn. Suddenly, with the aid of Tricky, drum machines, and a sporadic trumpet Björk becomes a much more serious artist. While I do prefer her songs when they are wild and irreverent, Enjoy is still a decently motivating offering. You’ve Been Flirting Again is also a musical departure, but this time around Björk laments lightly about love and pain. The difference is not in the lyrical content; rather the fact that only only a stark string section supports her makes it something special.
Isobel ranks among the best songs of the album. And while the theatrical nature of the track certainly prevented it from being a hit single, Björk manages to sell the song with an amazing grasp of her vocal talent. She knows she’s good, but instead of overdoing her art she holds back and leaves listeners wanting more. Björk is a master of restraint. Possibly Maybe blends nicely with its predecessor. Beginning with a soft, keyboard driven melody the song soon breaks into a rusty trip hop beat. Her vocals work nicely in a variety of settings be them big band, dance, industrial, straight electronica, or in this case trip-hop.
I Miss You marks Björk’s return to the dance arena. Building melody and beat upon melody and beat the song soon develops into a wild and extraordinary work of art. The droning beats soon are joined by horns, but what makes the song a true standout is Björk. Her guttural growls are perfectly placed and executed. Not too many, but just enough to know that Björk hasn’t lost her edge nor has her music been overproduced.
Cover Me is a fine enough song, though it lacks the incredible joy of many of my favorite songs. The oriental flair is certainly a welcome release but the focus of the song seems to be on the ambiance. And since it doesn’t seem to go anywhere, this proves to be a relative failure. Fortunately for Björk her sophomore effort wraps up with the Tricky-produced Headphones. Instead of rehashing the sounds of Empty, this track is a low and magical brand of drum n’ bass electronica.
Post, as mentioned, may not be Björk’s best album to date. In fact, it is her third best ranking behind both Homogenic (1997) and Debut (1993) in that order. With each new album Björk dabbles in different soundscapes. Each of her albums is worth investigating, each for a different reason. Post holds some of Björk’s biggest hits and a few hidden gems and for on these grounds it is a necessary purchase.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
1. Army of Me
2. Hyper-Ballad
3. The Modern Things
4. It's Oh So Quiet
5. Enjoy
6. You've Been Flirting Again
7. Isobel
8. Possibly Maybe
9. I Miss You
10. Cover Me
11. Headphones
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