Music Review

03 December 2008 05:30 BST

Bjork: Volta

Little Indian, out May 7th.

In a nutshell…

Innovative, eclectic, fulfilling, stimulating, unique

What's it all about?

From the word go Bjork has never ceased to amaze with her vocals, the quality of her production and the immense sound that comes from her cleverly-layered polyphony. Every song Bjork touches is exciting because you never really know where she's going to take you and how she's going to sing a particular line. She can grab you attention with a sensual and sultry delivery before grabbing you by the throat with a ripping scream that perforates around a hall; it's all rather dramatic and never a note short of complete magnificence.

Take Volta, Bjork's sixth solo album and a much-discussed shift into perhaps a commercialised record. Once again, these doubters have been cast aside by what is perhaps the most thrilling and original recording to have emerged so far this year. With Volta, Bjork recruits Timbaland for pure pop, borrows sweet poetry and delivers more of her pagan spiritual-style bellowers that leave you scared to take your eye off your iPod, instead observing it suspiciously, wondering what the hell happened to the usual crap that spurts out of its headphones.

It all kicks off with Earth Intruders, a track which could quite easily begin the new Transformers flick with added apocalyptical verses. "With our feet thumping / With our feet marching / Grinding the sceptics into the soil," such a crude and clumsy comparison doesn't do the song justice as it could also pass as a rather abrupt rebuttal to those who doubt whether she's still got it, but stomping, huge, warfare-like lyrics – you get the idea.

This album has wonderfully sullen moments (the duets with Anthony Hegarty in particular) but also raucous and rebellious tracks which rival Army of Me. Declare Independence is an oddity, but also a force to be reckoned with and if Bjork performs it at Glastonbury, Michael Eavis' cows will be tossed two or three miles down field.

Who's it by?

Volta is Bjork's sixth solo album since she left the Sugarcubes. It's a return to the form which she showed in the 90s and explains why the talented performer has won hatfuls of Grammys and Brits in her time.

At times Bjork's work has been beautiful, powerful and downright strange, but never could you say her material has been dull and samey. In a current climate of solo performers armed with a big band and some rather average songs, we need Bjork more than ever.

As an example…

"Declare independence / don't let them do that to you / justice / start your own currency / make your own stamp / protect your language / declare independence."

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

Volta could see Bjork back at awards ceremonies, possibly wearing the latest eye-catching number that has caught her eye. This is the lady who has in the past arrived at the Oscars wearing 'a swan' delicately wrapped around her body.

What the others say

"There's still no one like her." – NME

"Bjork' sixth solo album proves reassuringly 'out there'" - Mojo

So is it any good?

When some do quiet and unassuming, Bjork does brooding and seriously unsettling, when others do rowdy, Bjork unleashes carnage. Take The Dull Flame of Desire, a duet with Anthony which uses a 19th century poem as its base, with only ten lines of material. Bjork stretches this out to produce seven and half minutes of inspiring vocals, peaking at one moment and plummeting at the next. Anthony complements Bjork well, although when she wishes to, she batters his tones into submission the way she always has done.

There are tracks on Volta which hark back to Debut and others that are more made up of snippets of noise intermittently placed in between Bjork's voice. The Timbaland-produced innocence is probably the closest Bjork will ever come to releasing a Sexy Back, highlighting the influence of the US producer and also the flexibility of Bjork's talent. It's a difficult pop song to grasp, but a pop song it is.

Vertebrae by Vertebrae has an unforgettably spooky introduction, rising steadily alongside Bjork's vocals as she sings: "And the spine straight and erect / hungry and curious / up-on-the-toe / looking forward." It's a typically intriguing track from Bjork, climaxing towards the end with wonderfully delivered lines of arms oozing out of shoulders and tails curling "inwards, inwards".

Declare Independence is certainly a track to be remembered. An agro beat gets things underway while Bjork stays steadfast saying only: "Declare independence / Don't let them do that to you." It turns into a complete screamer towards the end, with Bjork using her full voice over an imposing and thudding riff which sticks in your head for hours. It's the talking point of Volta and also its most genius feature.

Volta is an unstoppable album and another high point in Bjork's varied career. Just as people have begun to move on, Bjork has pole-vaulted ahead once again, leaving all the others trailing in her wake.

9/10

Karl Pike