Just what is it about that swan dress, anyway? Bj?¶rk first sported the oh-so-unique dress proudly at the Oscars and is wearing it again on the cover of her latest release, Vespertine. The impact: your first impression of this album is that Bj?¶rk really is a strange creature, that this cover photo must be Bj?¶rk's way of letting us know that she is as bizarre as ever, and that her music is as innovative and interesting as always.
Vespertine proves Bjork's point rather well. Her eccentric nature shines throughout the album, her first release since 1997's Homogenic. She uses household sounds - ranging from shuffling cards to clicking cameras to melting icicles - to provide a melodious and enticing atmosphere with each graceful song. The orchestral accompaniment adds a fairy-tale like element to the album, which is likely not a coincidence considering Bj?¶rk believes in fairies and elves (no, really - it seems to be an Icelandic belief that respect should be given to mythical elves that supposedly occupy a good part of the country).
The name of her album comes from the word "vespers," or evening prayers. Bj?¶rk was supposedly inspired by chamber music to make this album reminiscent of calm, serene meditation. The effect is varied: Vespertine can sometimes feel like a show-tune soundtrack, with a children's choir sweetly singing in the background and the orchestra occasionally playing an exciting number.
There are also times during the album when it feels as though she has transported us back to childhood, allowing us to experience the magic and wonder that created such a fantasy world earlier in life. On "Frosti," she uses samples of wind chimes swaying gently, which sounds like the opening of a little music box.
In her most subdued album yet, Bj?¶rk's ubiquitous sounds surround you completely, making you feel almost weightless. She uses ghostly melodies - most of her songs can be summed up as bright, slow, and gentle, with an ethereal quality touching every track. The album was definitely made for smaller, more intimate venues, due to the its deeply personal nature. Bj?¶rk allows a pure expression of emotion to flow throughout the course of this work, adding a euphoric quality to her music.
Vespertine dances around a lush ambient genre, doubtlessly due to the influence of and collaboration with electronic duo Matmos, who will open for Bj?¶rk during most of her Vespertine tour. Her album is difficult to compare to most electronic music due to the poetic and magical elements she adds to every song. Moreover, her music remains unique because of the way she approaches the electronic genre; she engages in the use of everyday sounds to incorporate a familiar feel to the songs.
This is a different type of album for Bj?¶rk, but anyone who has been a fan of her music in the past will find it a beautiful and brilliant work, showing off her talent as a musician and artist. Her new attitude on Vespertine gives the impression that she has finally found the perfect way to express all of her thoughts, feelings, and personal beliefs in a musically coherent way. Compared to her earlier expressions of discontent - as heard in Homogenic and in Post - Vespertine creates an entirely different atmosphere.
Bj?¶rk's departure from her past efforts might surprise fans. Some of her songs may not be "good" in the conventional sense; there are times when she plays up a good musical idea a little too much, dragging out the point. The first part of the album keeps interests high, with rich and vibrant rhythms sprinkled with a bit of Bj?¶rk's personal stash of fairy dust. Towards the end of the disc, however, the songs tend to run longer than necessary, and her strange-yet-intriguing lyrics and musical feats become just plain odd.
What happens? Bj?¶rk manages to captivate her audience for a while, but seems to drift farther away from her listeners and deeper into her own perplexing thoughts. There are even times when it seems as though she is just speaking out loud, mostly to herself. Nevertheless, although not all the songs are necessarily good or conventional, there is no question that every single track on the album is utterly and completely beautiful.
This is not a CD to put in if you're expecting to hear upbeat, pulse-raising beats - her take on electronica is more an intimate, introspective journey. Vespertine is perfect to listen to if you want to simply tune into her mystical musical perspective and fade out of your everyday reality.
