Saturday, 14 March 2015

Björk - Vulnicura, album review



Break Up to Wake Up Music?

Listening to Vulnicura this morning, I was thinking this is the music that has the broad sweep of a film score, but of course that is only really opening track Stonemilker. The next Lionsong retains the orchestrations but it engages more in electronica, and the lyrics are too intense for what would be the much longer narrative of a movie. What does prevail are the gorgeous if at times complex harmonies, and naturally the sound of Bjork’s vocal which is always informed by that accent. Keen to hang on to my filmic referencing, there is a dreamlike quality to these and the tracks that follow, third History of Touches set inside an electronic theatre of sound and the storytelling a confessional performance. These are candid songs, and beautiful songs as with the chamber music of Black Lake. There are more brooding tones in Family, and the competing voices create tension within its bleaker though still swelled musical landscape. Apparently her 'breakup' album - the cover a literal reflection of this - I don’t think this is morning music, but I have started……


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