Medúlla

I either wasn't in the right frame of mind or this was truly horrible. Either way, did not like.

We get it Bjork. You're a creative artsy type. Far too Indie for me. 1/5

Not for me. My only words.

The fifth album from Björk took an experimental turn by using mostly acapella vocals to construct the majority of the album's songs. Because of this choice the album was critically acclaimed, but left critics either amazed or confused. I was one of the latter, being confused by the direction each song took. The songs did not seem to blend well together and besides a couple of them, the songs weren't that interesting either - even when being produced entirely by a human voice. Still, this is a unique album so I understand why it's on this list.

Off putting in a great way

I'm probably biased when it comes to Bjork I've been a big fan since the 90s this album still sounds amazing and like no other, using the human voice as an instrument for the beats and all the layers hard to fault this one is near perfect

How did I completely overlook this album at the time? A beautiful concept wonderfully executed.

really, all of björk's works should be on here and all considered just brilliant. i think she still gets slightly better from each release to the next. this is how it should be, an artist's best works should not be at the start of their career.

Delightfully weird and beautiful. I would not willingly listen to beatboxing or wet mouth noises on a record from anyone else. fav song: oceania, mouth's cradle

Loved this

Great artist, highly unique and cool.

An absolute triumph of an album, pure in its commitment to exploration of the voice as an instrument while committed to moving in both avant-grade, folk, and pop spaces. For a 45 minute record this is incredibly dense listening; it needs 7 more listens for me to truly grasp it all, but solely for the shivers of emotion stirred by "Who Is It", I'm grateful already for this one. One of Björk's finest for sure, and worthy of inclusion here.

her second best concept vice

A beautiful quixotic fantasy world dreamed up by our favorite cat lady. It transported me. Bjork ran so James Blake could walk.

I did not expect to like this as much as I did. This is amazing. What a sonic treat. This might be Björk vocals at their most beautiful. I had no idea Mike Patton appeared on a Björk album. But I am not at all surprised it's as part of an ensemble of vocal magicians doing weird and interesting things. This is another album that I think requires headphones for the full experience. Every sensory receptor in your ear holes will be stimulated.

I've been into this record since it was released. It's a remarkable achievement given that it's primarily vocals only. There are some really complex, challenging arrangements here, so I can see why it doesn't gel with everyone, and that's okay. Favourite tracks: Pleasure Is All Mine, Where Is The Line (shout out to Rahzel), Vökuró (just gorgeous), Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right), Submarine, Desired Constellation, Oceania.

ive already written a v good review of this in semi-recent times, so not much to say, except that coming back to it after already having done so much to acclimate myself to it i was kind of expecting it to sound more jarring than it has but honestly it just kinda sounds normal now FHJSFHFSJFSJ obviously not every track here is even Attempting to be a pop song, but even in the more abstract structures there is something comforting about how you will Always Know what each sound is, and maybe even be able to create an approximation of it with no outside tools whatsoever. maybe not as "profound" as my previous observations but certainly speaks to part of why i find this such a comforting place to go...on a visceral level i go to bjork for her beautifully wandering melodic lines and her interesting taste in timbres, and in some ways this record is the most direct and unadorned expression of both, despite the high conceptness. ironically my favorite track is still desired constellation, one of the tracks that breaks the concept, but i suppose 100% consistently would make the record just that little bit less mysterious! many new types of balladry here for whatever age comes after this one. in my anti-dissociative canon, personally

I've been wary to explore Bjork's later discography after being absolutely paralyzed and overwhelmed by Fossora and instead taking her step by step. But really, I've just had Vespertine on repeat. The fact that it's an almost completely a cappella album invites the assumption that is will be weird and must certainly invite a lot of immediate dismissal from people who'd prefer some more instrumental songs. I definitely didn't feel enticed to listen by that fact, but it continues a streak since her Debut, in my opinion, of near-flawless talent at self expression. Who Is It is truly a lot of fun, and it made a lot of sense to find out it was originally going to be on Vespertine, but I guess she knew she had a whole album's worth of this kind of music to make. Her textural obsessions make songs like Desired Constellation and Ancestors so simply ethereal. Triumph of a Heart is going to be a fun one to throw on in front of friends, but Oceania is really the crown jewel of the album. Absolutely shining track.

This is one of my favorite albums, its so beautiful. I was making mental notes while listening on my drive to work this morning, and I just realized I was making a list of all the tracks, one after the other, consecutively, in a row.

Every now and then on this list an album comes up that is utterly unique and unlike everything that has come before. For this project, Björk moved away from the electronica of her previous albums and focussed on the sounds that could be made with the human voice alone. Aside from one track with a minimal use of piano and some bass synth lines, this really does what it says on the tin. The sounds produced are stunningly varied, from Björk’s distinctive, otherworldly vocals, to traditional choirs, throat singers, beatboxers and even someone described as a human trombone. Musically this ranges from folk sounds and classical choral, to contemporary beats and something you might have heard sat around a fire in an Icelandic cave 10,000 years ago. I fully realise that this album might be a challenging listen for some people, but sitting down and hearing it on the best headphones you have is a spine tingling experience.

Bjork- Medulla The human voice is a crazy instrument. She’s a genius. Great quote from Wikipedia page: "I wanted the record to be like muscle, blood, flesh. We could be in a cave somewhere and one person would start singing, and another person would sing a beat and then the next person sing a melody, and you could just kind of be really happy in your cave. It's quite rootsy"

I really like this album. It really takes me to unexpected places. The performances are so visceral. That has a lot to do with the main musical vehicle is the human voice. This is also a great headphone listen. The mixing and production of this record is excellent.

This is the good shit. I really think that on average, pop/rock/etc musicians aren’t all that thoughtful. Without a doubt, Bjork is an exception. This lady is an honest-to-god Artist who fell into getting a lot more mainstream attention that Artists are really meant to get. Sometimes she’s doing a take on conventional music and it’s cool. This one is her doing her actual Art Stuff and is it ever something, ya know?

Start of her most wishy washy style but still much more than listenable

I fucking love her so much. This album was so good. Experimental. Animalistic. Emotional. I’m upset that it took until day 9 today have a female artist. And of course she blows everything else that’s been on this list so far out of the water.

a masterpiece!

I think I saw Björk in concert for this album, at least I went to the one where she arrived via parachute to Laugardalshöll. Anyway, you can't go wrong with Björk's experimental albums. But hey, I'm Icelandic, so I'm heavily biased.

Magic weird music - never heard anything like it

interesting acapella

I'm just on that Björk shit. I can get why someone wouldn't like this, but couldn't be me. There's something about her voice that just scratches an itch on my brain.

The "live-stream" of my listening experience for this album: 1. Huh, this is interesting. Good on ya, Bjork, for expanding your palette and finding new ways to make cool music. Not sure I can deal with a whole album of this and your breathy vocals, but it's feeling like a solid 3. 2. Damn these singers are amazing. I don't know how they sing these tight and complex harmonies. Also, props to Bjork for these arrangements. I'm getting strong Koyaanisqatsi vibes. Also some Smile-era Beach Boys and even a little Revolution 9. Maybe this is creeping up to a 4, but I'm worried it's going to keep going and I'm gonna get tired of it. Shit, we're only halfway. 3. Jesus, this just keeps getting better and better. Is this a 5? There's no way this is a 5. It's really good but it's not THAT good.

I never was a Björk fan but this list has made me realise how good she actually is. This album is very creative and interesting... it almost crosses over with some vocal/sound oriented contemporary classical music (e.g. Caroline Shaw) which I love. Her unique voice really shines on this layered, atmospheric album. However much I dread "It's oh so quiet", this album is a star. You know what, I'll give it a 5!

I don't think I've ever listened to Björk before, I'm excited First two were pretty much what I thought I was going to get, but Where Is The Line was SO unexpected. Loving it I want to listen to this while on a beach walk. Would be the perfect vibes I think. Can only imagine how many student interpretative dance pieces have been done to this album. Really liked this. Struggled a lil bit with the vocalisations on Ancestors, but that's okay. 4.5/5. Was going to round down but then I changed my mind. Enjoy your five stars, Björk, you deserve it Songs added to my playlist: - Pleasure Is All Mine - Where Is The Line - Desired Constellation - Oceania - Mouths Cradle

so everything is done completely with vocals. No instruments. Really interesting methods. and it kinda slaps. dark themes

Bloody hell This threw me at first but the entire album is incredible Listened to it through headphones to appreciate it fully Bloody genius

My absolute favourite Bjork album. The pleasure is ALL mine.

Man, to have your experimental, "gimmicky" album - ehich is not even in your top 5 most well-acclaimed albums - sound *this* good, and contain songs like Oceania and Who Is It... clearly, they've got some kind of magic in the Icelandic water springs. Highly recommended for anyone with curiosity and adventure and in their hearts.

Somebody call David Lynch

I enjoyed reading the 1 star reviews a lot. Yall are funny 😂 Björk has such a talent to only use vocals as her instruments to set the tone of each track if she isn't using electronic midis. I ended up listening to the album several times throughout my day.

Really beautiful. Awesome sounds from start to finish. Very rewarding for a focused headphones listen. Very eclectic and challenging for your ears just because of the volume of interesting stuff coming at you. I might struggle if I tried to listen to it while not really paying attention.

I’ve never heard anything like this before

J'aime bien l'audace de Björk. Elle a quelque chose de Joni Mitchell dans la façon de mener ses lignes mélodiques à des endroits insoupçonnés. Par contre, une voix pas mal plus cassante qui écorche parfois. Les chansons sont bien construites et assez envoûtantes. J'adore l'utilisation de son folklore Nordique (notamment les chants de gorge dans Ancestors), c'est ce qu'elle fait de mieux. Vokuro est superbe aussi et écrite à la manière d'un madrigal de renaissance, ça me parle beaucoup. Comme nouveau parent, ça me parle beaucoup, un album dédié à sa fille sur les thèmes de tout donner, et aimer inconditionnellement.

Very good album.

I’ve always thought that Bjork is on a different plane than us. Humanity doesn’t deserve her. Every time I listen to this very perfect album, I feel like I enter a different, very specific, realm. If this is the purpose of high art, then Bjork is a master artist, perhaps a divinity. In Medulla, we enter the marrow of cosmos. We visit ancestors and ocean deities. And all of this is purely cast forth into the world through voice alone. Seriously, wtf? I’m not surprised, but slightly heartbroken, that the score for this album is so low here. It’s non traditional, yes, but it’s quite a force.

228/1089 - This takes the golden rule of composing: "keep things the same, change some other things" to another level. The timbres are very experimental, consisting of a'capella with various effects but the rhythms are grounded in electronic music and the pitch content is largely tonal. Essentially, certain musical parameters are intensely messed with while others are kept simple giving the album a pleasing balance.

Björk can do whatever she wants. Absolutely anything. This isn't more apparent than here. 1 instrument on this album, which is a single gong hit. Otherwise it's all voice. And it is so texturally interesting. I love the guest vocals from Mike Patton and Robert Wyatt. This album also contains quite possibly THE most unplayable song for a party ever put onto a pop record, "Ancestors". And I still don't know if I love or hate that song either. I love Björk. Everything she makes is gold

Pleasure Is All Mine - 8/10 Show Me Forgiveness - 7.5/10 Where Is The Line - 9/10 Vokuro - 8/10 Oll Birtan - 7.5/10 Who is it - 8.5/10 Submarine - 7.5/10 Desired Constallation - 8/10 Oceania - 8/10 Sonnets / Unrealities XI - 7.5/10 Ancestors - 8.5/10 Mouth Cradle - 8/10 Midvikudags - 7/10 Triumph Of A Heart - 8/10 80/100

Un álbum increíble. Había tenido la oportunidad de escucharlo anteriormente, pero no recordaba algunos de los temas. Creo que la propuesta de trabajar casi exclusivamente con la voz humana para producir este álbum hace de esto una experiencia única. Parafraseando a Lars Von Trier (con quién irónicamente Björk se ha peleado), las restricciones obligan a usar la creatividad. Cómo hace música cercana a los estilos occidentales tradicionales (con armonía, melodía, bajos y percusión) solo con un instrumento: La voz. Para ello Björk hace uso de diferentes recursos (beatbox, arreglos corales, técnicas extendidas, edición electrónica, superposición de capas de una misma voz, etc.) Lo excelente del álbum es que es experimental, pero también es pop, es folk pero es contemporáneo. Y a pesar de las restricciones de la voz (en comparación con ensambles de múltiples diversos instrumentos) el álbum no se percibe monótono, sino al contrario, es innovador en tema. Entiendo que tal vez no sea una experiencia muy popular y recaiga en una categoría más bien experimental o de nicho. Yo lo considero una obra hermosa.

Bjork is een van die artiesten die in een compleet andere wereld muziek maakt.

25/1089 I’ve wanted to listen through Björk’s music for a long time, so this’ll be an interesting first album Pretty sure i’m gonna be on the side for whom her music properly clicks, Pleasure Is All Mine is a stunning way to start an album I can really hear where Empress Of takes inspiration from in Where is the Line, that song was such a satisfying listen Vokuro was captivating, i adore the icelandic language a lot and it fits this sound so well. I got pretty absorbed in the project, the techniques she uses and the way she manipulates her voice for the music is so impressive. Oceania and Submarine were some highlights Mouth’s Cradle is magnificent and feels almost like the centrepiece of the project. Mikvikudags and Triumph Of A Heart really feel like an epilogue and a release, thelatter especially just had me grinning what a stylish and addictive song. This was an album that I really wanted to like going into it but i was fully prepared for the possibility i’d hate it, but I didn’t need to worry because i love this 5 stars or 95/100 faves: Triumph of a Heart, Mouth’s Cradle, Submarine least faves: don’t have any

I’m sorry, but there is no “Post” or “Homogenic” on this list? And somehow 4 of her albums on it?? Those two are definition of “what you really need to hear before you die”. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, those records is standout moments in pop-music history, that still influence new music 30 years later. I’m sorry, it’s just like a cruel joke, I still can’t believe it. It’s like putting 4 Radiohead albums, without “Ok Computer” and “Kid A”. Or kick out “White Album”/“Abbey Road”, “DSotM”/“WYWH”, etc. It’s stupid. Medulla is great, nothing to say what haven’t said already. I just wanted to vent… PS. Oh, I recall that I already reviewed Sugarcubes album that on this list too. Like, really, wtf??

Amazing.

😭Magnificent. Genius. Masterpiece. This album is a gift.

This album is a masterpiece. Bjork’s artistic vision makes itself evident in her attention to every detail. From the cover to the composition of each song, Medulla explores its namesake throughly. The cover itself tells the listener what is in store: Bjork’s mask made of hair, her near nudity and dead-like pallor, and a necklace made of bones the color of blood, tells us all we need to know: Medulla is about the core grittiness of humanity—the marrow of our very bones—conceived of through soundscapes made nearly entirely of purely human sounds. The beginning track “Pleasure Is All Mine” sets the tone for the album, with the concept of nearly purely vocal tracks shining in the forefront. Bjork’s beautiful and lilting melodies underpinned by choral tones and interspersed with moans that invoke both pleasure and pain. It is a grotesque entry into the album exposing Bjork’s thesis of exploring the range of humanities polar binaries: life and death, pleasure and pain. “Where Is the Line” assaults our senses with a myriad of sounds, and it would be quite easy to mistake them for synthesized notes we are used to hearing in electronic music, but upon closer listening, one finds each sound is made from a human voice. The disturbing dissonance is one that is wholly human though augmented by production techniques. The somber tones of “Vokuro” invoke both sadness and exaltation with Bjork’s dirge like vocals backed by powerful choral notes. Pared down songs like “Desired Constellation” illuminate Bjork’s sheer power as a singer by reprising the line “how am I going to make it right?” with both jubilation and sadness, However, she also disallows our comfort by alienating the listener using that same voice in dissonant and disturbing tracks like “Ancestors”. Bjork does not let us forget who she is, and reminds us of her ability to make poppy and catchy songs by ending with the still sonically interesting but more approachable “Triumph of a Heart”. Truly, the experimental and avant-garde nature of this album would not be echoed for some time. Indie darlings like Modest Mouse and Arcade fire were about to take center stage in 2004, and though they too represented a fairly unrepresented music at their time, it would be years before the fruits of Bjork’s experimentation with Medulla made themselves known with artists like Dirty Projectors, Tune Yards, Alt-J, and others. Medulla is esoteric and hard to approach but ultimately hauntingly beautiful: it is Bjork beckoning us to come closer as she digs through the guts of some dead animal turning entrails into intricate and beautiful designs.

Oh my god life changing how have I not listened to this sooner

Sounds like church music you'd hear on a planet from the Dune universe. It rules. Bjork rules I respect her unwillingness to stay in one lane for too long. Post (my favorite album of hers) is an all time banger and was critically and commercially very successful. She could have stuck to that sound and released numerous albums that would have sold well and - let's be real - been all timer albums. But she clearly thinks very deeply about music itself, not as simply a vessel to deliver a message or a catchy melody. She creates sounds that are unique and captivating. Love it or hate it, there is no denying that the sound of this album is uniquely this album. If you were to hear it in a vacuum years down the line, you will not mistake it for anything else. And she doesn't sacrifice catchy melodies either. I don't really buy into the idea that this album is some avant-garde inaccessible art piece (despite the myriad of 1 star reviews that seem to think so). It isn't random noise; there is melody. It isn't in some discordant key that makes the ear cringe. I do not know why people are so unaccepting of any time art goes out of the norm (be it film, music, painting), but I am glad artists like Bjork do not let it stop them.

wowwww voicesssssss

<3

Sophiticated, upmarket Björk. Some tracks are a bit suicidal.

This isn't something I'd return to frequently, and is outside my usual stomping grounds, but it's really captivating. I've never really heard anything else that sounds like this and is engaging to listen to, which seems all you can want from a concept piece like this one.

Truly a unique artist, nobody is like her. 5 albums deep and managed to come up with such a bizarre concept as this, and pull it off.

Possibly my favorite Bjork album.

I generally don't care much for Bjork. I love her few songs in the movie Dancer in the Dark, but her albums never kept my attention. Until this one. The voicework is brilliant and innovative, the melodies can be followed while remaining complex. The influence from some of the best choral work is clear. Love it. 4.5/5

Say whatever you want, but this is genious and weird and beautiful, so as every album of hers.

What the hell is this??? The first time, I was so confused. Sounded like she was having an exorcist. 🤣 I had to play this a couple of times. This is so unique. I enjoyed this one. Call me crazy, but I am giving it five stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

i was in bed listening to this on headphones and wow. what a fantastic album! it’s incredibly cool what the human voice is capable of. i have thoroughly enjoyed this. “vokuro” is my favourite song and it completely took me by surprise and made me cry. it felt so emotional! second favourite track is “desired constellation”. i am still very new to björk’s music but this has made me appreciate her voice so much. i honestly don’t understand why this is rated so low by people. open up your mind! this is absolutely a 5 to me.

Another old friend. Finally got to see her tour with this album. This woman is a genius on another level.

Impressively technical but also incredibly lush and alive. Amazing.

Ok, let's think about this for a moment: pop music's most preeminent avant-garde artist made an entirely acapella album? That features some near-unbelievable classical harmonies from a whole choir of similarly ethereal voices? And it's got a member of the Roots doing beatboxing throughout the album? And somehow Bjork doesn't sacrifice her songwriting abilities for a second on this album? Well, I'd love to give it a 4, as a human being who's heard Post and Homogenic before, but I'm not grading on a curve!! Fuck it, it's possible only worthwhile acapella album ever made deserves a 5 too:

Easily her best work

Bjork has a reputation (unfairly, I'd argue) for making music that's too weird. So I imagine that the idea of an a capella album from her will make more than a handful of people groan. If that's you, I'd urge you to put aside your preconceived notions and listen with an open mind. Because this a really fascinating album and quite unlike anything else out there. To start with, calling this an a capella album is extremely misleading. True, there are almost no instruments on "Medulla", but this isn't just Bjork singing alone in a studio. She's testing the very limits of the human voice in as many ways as possible. Choirs meet rock star growling. Beatboxing meets Inuit throatsinging. Bjork hasn't merely removed instruments, as much as made them redundant. The carefully curated selection of collaborators are able to manipulate their vocal chords in a myriad of ways that have likely never been brought together before, since, or maybe ever again. Subtle electronic effects add different textures throughout the album as well. That technical process helps to create a blending of different cultures and times. At times, you can imagine a group of women singing in Medieval European choir. The image blends into a breathless indigenous woman passionately vocalizing stories of her ancestors. Next to them is an angsty modern rock star, and the world of the Bronx. Somehow, all of these diverse peoples are all together in a cave singing together, a beautiful celebration of human voice and cultures. The content of the songs reflects all of this in surprising ways. There are universal themes of family relations and motherhood, along with stargazing and worship of nature. In some ways, it's a far cry from her early 90s London clubbing days, but in others is uniquely Bjork. This album is a triumph and of her best work (if also the most confusing to some people). Given the themes, "Oceania" was rightfully featured at the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games, another celebration of the world and human abilities.

Obviously I was expecting weird shit, and I got it, but I also got some tracks that were bops. She’s great at what she does, long live freaky women.

I became a Bjork fan in 2002, my brother gave me a burned copy of her Greatest Hits and Vespertine after we watched her perform something on TV and agreed it was cool as fuck. I became obsessed and bought each of her previous albums and listened to them constantly. I was in middle school. When it broke that she was coming out with a new album, I had a mental calendar on which I was crossing off the days. I remember buying this CD at a local music store and eagerly opening the package to look at the booklet and art while my mom drove me home. This is not an album for a young teen to identify with, but I was determined to enjoy it. For years I loved the more straightforward (lol) pop structured tracks. “Who Is It?”, “Triumph of a Heart”, “Mouth’s Cradle”, and “Oceania” were favorites, and I would mostly skip through the rest. I got older, she released newer material that wasn’t acapella, and I kind of forgot about this album entirely. In 2022, Bjork released a series of podcasts that dove deep into inspiration and production of each album called “Sonic Symbolism”. I listened along and re-explored each album after hearing her description and discovered that now, ages later, Medulla has become one of my favorite Bjork albums. A few main points to get out of the way – yes, it is insane that this is an almost entirely acapella album, and this certainly contains some of her most abstract compositions to date, but I think the strength and cohesiveness of the production, arrangement, and themes are perhaps second only to Vespertine. This is her pinnacle as far as committing to the bit; recruiting unique and exemplary voices from around the world, including Rahzel, Mike Patton, and famously just missing getting Beyonce involved. This is an album about traditions and motherhood, the empowerment it can bring as well as the hysterical lengths women go to emotionally, physically, and spiritually, to provide all. Her reflections on this are tongue in cheek on tracks like “Pleasure Is All Mine” or “Where is the Line”, heartfelt on “Desired Constellation” or “Who Is It”, proud on tracks like “Oceania” and “Mouth’s Cradle”, and downright joyful on “Triumph of a Heart”. “Submarine” is a haunting duet with Robert Wyatt. “Sonnets/Unrealities XI” is a heartbreaking arrangement of an e.e. cummings poem. This album also contains multiple songs in her native language, Icelandic, again linking to the themes of heritage. “Ancestors” is a bit of a notorious song in its unusual fusion of Inuit throat singing by Tonya Tagac. I think it is a valuable inclusion both as an on-theme spotlight on an indigenous artform traditionally performed by women but also, in the flow of the tracklist, I think it sets up the vocal ‘percussion’ that throat singing provides on the following track, “Mouths Cradle”. This is a headphones album because if you listened to it out loud people would be like “What the fuck are you listening to?”, but also because the atmosphere it produces is uniquely engrossing and deserving of a close listen.

What a brilliant and beautiful album! The rich and dense vocals, complex rhythms and overall musicality make this a joyful listening experience. OMG!

Vocal-centric albums are such a rare treat and this one is truly one of the all-time best. I also appreciate how the vocal focus perfectly compliments the album's themes of focusing on humanity and naturalism.

Definitely won't be a great starting point for anyone thinking about getting into Björk. This album will be a challenge no matter what. While, I feel it meanders in spots, the strengths of this album seem to outway those feelings and another I'll come back to.

Another Bjork, another reminder I should be listening to Bjork way more often. And a bonus cameo from Robert Wyatt! This one will be revisited soon.

Dick got wet

I just love this. Bjork has such a stature in the music industry that she can say that she wants to make an entirely "acapella" album, and she's going to have queues of musicians crawling over themselves just to get the chance to work with her. Her creativity is unbounded, and her discernment in selecting good collaborators is incredible. Medúlla reminds me of one of my favorite music composition techniques/experimentation. Get four musicians in the room, each with their main instrument. Create sixteen bars of improvisational music. Each musician gets a turn to play four bars of long notes, four bars medium, and four bars staccato. The final set of four is for the musician to play a solo on any instrument that they do not play. Take turns, repeat as long as you care to. You get a group together with any chemistry at all, and this is unbridled fun. I listened to this album twice immediately. The layers, the execution, the pure Bjorkitude of it all creates a sublime listening experience. I understand that this sort of music isn't for everyone, but it absolutely is for me.

Björk gets five

5/5. Bjork really is hit or miss and fortunately this one was a hit for me. The sparse vocals and minimalistic instrumentation really challenges Bjork to make it interesting all on her own. Her beautiful and strange vocals shine through and with an album that has very little instrumentation, it feels all the more powerful for it. The features and background vocals stand out on each track. The layering is beautiful and the album is so well produced, each sound clear and not abrasive or too quiet. It does flow together very nicely but because of that I do lose my place and forget how many songs have passed. It doesn't bother me as I am going to enjoy going back to relisten to this one and fall back into admiring her talent. Best Song: Who Is It, Where Is The Line, Öll Birtan

If it's my good friend Box's favorite, then it deserves a 5

This is Bjork’s exploration of the human voice. While that exploration doesn’t yield my favorite collection of her songs, the exception being “Desired Constellation” which in my opinion is a masterpiece, it is still a journey that I’ll happily and repeatedly take with her at the helm. Rahzel, Mike Patton, Dokaka and Tonya Tagaq’s contributions are phenomenal and to hear all of these talented musicians making music together is the selling point to this album. The choir’s also sound incredible through out. Highlights for me are “Where Is The Line,” “Pleasure Is All Mine” “Who Is It…” “Desired Constellation” and “Triumph Of A Heart”. Overall I think this album works best with headphones or some high quality speakers turned up so you are fully immersed in the many vocal layers. Singling out certain performances and being able to focus on them is a challenge at times but when you do it’s always like finding a hidden gem within a cavern of sound. This may not be my favorite Bjork album, it’s still worth a 5 for me. I really hope Vespertine is on this list.

Yes! This is a top 3 Bjork album for me. All vocals, strange, beautiful, magnificent. Loaded with great guest artists. Up until this point, Bjork had incorporated various eclectic instruments and electronic music into her albums, but she flipped the script and went A Cappella for this one. Totally amazing. Getting the best human beat box and best male vocalist of all time to guest was an excellent decision. My favorite song is Vökuró. Easy 5 for this album.

Never really listened to Bjork but I liked the album and will check out more.

Incredible. Of course a few spots that don’t carry, but the overall concept and execution are tremendous.

Layered, intimate and epic. This album was excellent. Bjork doesn't miss.

What a masterpiece. Coming from Motorhead to this was a real breath of fresh air. Beautifully composed song structures. ENGAGING and interesting listen.

I loved this album. It was quirky, avantgarde, fun, and whimsical—all of the best things in life. Her voice is ethereal. It was truly unique.

I just love the plot twist, what a great artist and such an incredible album. Faves: Where Is The Line, Who Is It, Triumph Of A Heart

Oh, this is cool - I kinda stopped following Björk's releases closely after the 90s so had no idea she did an album where almost all the noises are human voices - I woulda dug that! (Side note, making an album where almost all the noises are human voices and bringing Rahzel on board kinda feels like cheating, but damn, he does great work!) This was a great discovery, will definitely be revisiting. Fave tracks - "Where is the Line" and "Who Is It (Carry My Joy On The Left, Carry My Pain On The Right)" but really this is a whole-album trip!

A notch under Björk's previous albums *Post*, *Homogenic* and *Vespertine*--all absent from Dimery's list if I'm not mistaken... I've said it before, but the fact that those Björk LPs are not included in the 1001 Albums book is one of the main reasons I can't *fully* take the latter seriously. In comparison to its predecessors, *Medúlla* is still a very nice record, if maybe not an "essential" one (more on that very soon). And this because it admittedly displays large amounts of Björk's stellar skills, as an artist blessed with a golden, formidable voice, along with an unquenchable thirst for groundbreaking innovations, and as one who can navigate the fluid waters of pop catchiness with the same ease that sees her crossing the treacherous tides of challenging experimental music. *Medúlla* is a concept album paying tribute to the human voice, and as such, it also questions the core notions behind Dimery's book or this app (which means that its inclusion was an interesting call, at least). To use one of the phrases used by Björk herself, here diverted to a new context, "where is the line" between establishing a list of the greatest records ever made (the, quote-unquote, "essential" albums) and doing so to highlight ones that may not be *that* essential, and yet sound like no other album on Earth, so original and singular are they (hence why you must listen to them before you die). I guess that if you cross that thin line, surely *Medúlla* should be listened to by anyone interested by vocal performances at large. The question is, is it *your* interpretation of what those nerdy lists are useful for? Hiring the services of luminaries such as Mike Patton, Robert Wyatt, beatboxers Shlomo, Dokaka and former Roots member Rahzel, the Inuit throat singer Tagaq or the Icelandic Choir, Björk thus created an album with 99% of its "instrumentation" composed of human vocals. And the result is definitely impressive on a purely "technical" and performative level (even if reading the liner notes, you realize long-time collaborator and programmer Mark Bell, from LFO, tampered with some of the performances through subtle editing). The beatboxing parts slap *hard*, most specifically. And Björk's vocals over them are a joy to hear. That said, when it comes to the purely artistic results yielded by that ambitious experiment, *Medúlla* admittedly risks coming off as a somewhat "mixed bag" at some points. Four groups of songs populate the album, and depending on your mileage, you might be at ease with all four of them, or just a couple, or maybe none. The first group of songs is made out of instantly memorable gems (in my humble opinion), which are mostly found right at the center of the tracklist. They are "Who Is It", as pop-sugarcoated as it is strangely tense in some of its nooks and crannies (owing to the unexpected modulations of its chord sequence on the chorus), or the soothing and mystical "Desired Constellation", whose meditative wonders will send you spinning between stars in the night skies. And there's also the mock-disco closer "Triumph Of The Heart" to take into account, a little quaint, but with a joyful killer chorus, and the most organic-sounding cut to boot when it comes to the vocal performances, with a very "live" feel. The centerpiece of that bunch of awesome cuts, however, (and the centerpiece of the whole album, really) is "Oceania", once performed for the London 2012 Olympics. It's one of the best and most elegiac ballads Björk has ever written (here with her friend and poet Sjón, like a lot of her other signature songs), as immediate on the ear on a melodic level as it is evocative on a conceptual one. Beatbox and tongue noises are logically moist in those deep-sea-inspired soundscapes, the eerie samples of Robert Wyatt's wordless humming ooze like floating seaweed--smartly hearkening back to his masterpiece *Rock Bottom*--and the elated voices of the London Choir spin and twirl like so many jittery shoals of fish around the Icelandic singer. Apart from compositions by Debussy and Ravel, whose music could express the sensations conveyed by the ocean so well, so *graphically*? "Your sweat is salty, I am why," the electronica diva gently croons after her voice soared one last time to the surface like a dolphin, in one of those typical and exhilarating ad-libs only her can pull off. Björk becomes the *ocean* here, literally. And the "mythic" result is as beautiful as it is transcendent. The second group of proper songs usually makes the best of the album's vocals-driven canvas to explore more specific tones and emotions, whether eroticism and sensuality in the lush--yet also curiously understated--opener "Pleasure Is All Mine", or frustration and nervousness as related to an intense, possibly unsound romantic relationship in the abrasive (and at times quite spooky) "Where Is The Line?". Those sorts of tracks are often displaying great musical moments, it's true. On the other hand, you'd be hard-pressed to find them in a playlist of Björk's most striking songs. Potential hot take here: I sometimes caught myself thinking Mrs. Gudmundsdottir could have released those sorts of thematic and sonic explorations in an extraneous EP so as to preserve the flow and continuity of her full-length releases. But more on that later... The third group of songs consists of very minimalistic odes ("Show Me Forgiveness", "Vökuró", "Sonnets / Unrealities XI", drawn from an e.e. Cummings poem...). They are all wonderful pieces taken individually, but their presence takes a toll on the album's flow and cohesion, once again, and this especially on the first half of the record. In that group of sober, solemn tunes, don't miss "Submarine", though. That cut, mostly sung by guest Robert Wyatt in a hypnotic multi-track superposition, is very special. And it proves that Björk was right to yield to *some* of her most unhinged impulses at least... Which might not be the case for the last group of compositions, at least according to the naysayers. Those cuts ("Öll Birtan", "Ancestors", "Miðvikudags") go full experimental-mode with all sorts of quirky squeaks, gurgles and grunts, and their off-kilter presence takes a toll on the second half of the record this time, almost ruining the latter's momentum. Björk confessed that she was looking after "primordial' emotions here, something cavemen would feel the need to express with their voices. It sure is interesting on paper, but what her most hardcore fans will see here as "liberating", "instinctive", "free-formed" or"free-spirited', her detractors will probably just label as "self-indulgent". Björk and her collaborators sound like they're having a lot of fun performing those cuts, sure. But in all honesty, they are probably having more fun than large swaths of their potential audience. Interestingly, the Icelandic singer-songwriter has recently largely returned to that full-blown experimental mode on her latest LP *Fossora*, maybe with an extra maturity that was lacking the first time around (even if *Fossora* is not always an easy listen either). As usual, fans rejoiced and others went "meh". But maybe there's a third way to make sense out of Björk's later career, which more or less started with *Medúlla*, incidentally. That third way is to keep an open mind for what she tries to accomplish, praise the artistry and the incredible imagination she pours into the latter, while maintaining some critical distance whenever she loses her way at times. In other words, be a listener first, and a "fan" next Having this record to review today proves it's actually nothing new. In 2004, twenty years ago, Björk had already reached a point where she probably deemed it pointless to prove anything to anyone: she had had hits, critical recognition, countless homages from her peers, all sorts of artistically rewarding forays into groundbreaking soundscapes that somehow managed to also be popular... Now she could let herself go to wherever her deep instincts led her to, whether it was a commercial track trying to catch up on the trends of the day, or a totally hermetic avant-garde endeavor. Now she could follow the footsteps of someone like Joni Mitchell, one of her models, and this for the rest of her life--risking potential ridicule, just like her, but also garnering long-time admiration for her undeniable integrity as an artist. Under that light, who cares if you're not releasing "essential albums" anymore? That sort of freedom is not for everyone, whether you're a musician or a mere music listener. And it's the sort of freedom that should be cherished. On *Medúlla*, Björk heard her later calling. And surely, the fact that it was expressed through voices, her most potent instrument, is no mere coincidence here. - 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list, rounded up to 4 (and no, I didn't make a mistake when I clicked on the stars: it's a rare *positive* protest vote to complain about the absence of other key albums by Björk--just like I clicked five stars for Lana Del Rey's *Chemtrails Over The Country Club* to protest about *NFR*'s omission) - 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5+3.5) Number of albums left to review: 97 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 389 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 228 (including this one--but I will select *Debut*, Post*, *Homogenic* and *Vespertine* first, and I don't want my passion for Björk's music to ruin the occasion to include other great artists either) Albums from the list I certainly won't include in mine: 286

This was such a fascinating listen. It seems to be almost entirely vocals making up this album. I occasionally heard some very softly played piano, but otherwise the vocals were the main focus. I’m even fairly sure that the percussion was beat box (or as Rach called it, Bjëat Bjöx). The composition was as kooky as I’ve come to expect from Björk, but doesn’t get too strange, which is what I found with her latest release Homogenic. Certainly, I’m finding these earlier albums to be more pleasing to my ears than the newer (although I’m aware that a lot of her fans disagree).

Surely not even Bjork could pull off an almost totally vocal album. She triumphs.

Wasn't expecting this. Very weird, and I loved it. Will be listening to more Björk.

Amazing! Definitely sounds influenced by Kate Bush's "The Sensual World" album.

I’m kind of shocked at how much I do like this, especially after being a bit underwhelmed by Debut a few weeks ago. Medúlla is by turns strange, beautiful, powerful and incredibly, incredibly human and that humanity is very affecting. Björk has said that the reason for wanting to produce a mostly a capella album was as a spiritual link to the very origins of music, and by god she hits that breif perfectly. It’s a truly timeless listening experience, something that sounds like it could have come out at any point in the entire history of humanity

Very unique and interesting

This is absolutely an album you should listen to before you die! I can’t think of another album that made me so dramatically rethink what we’re capable of as humans. It’s amazing because it’s such a weird idea, but also so obvious to make an album exploring what the human voice can do and it’s kind of wild that no one gave it a shot like this before. I’ll be honest in that I’ve always waffled between admiring Björk’s kookiness and suspecting it was just a schtick to stand out, but I’m all in on admiration after this one.

Like a combination of Robert Wyatt's (who appears on this album) Rock Bottom and Sparks' song My Baby's Taking Me Home, Medulla is perhaps my favorite of the Bjork albums I've had the pleasure of listening to, because while its gimmick is just that, a gimmick, it does that gimmick so incredibly well that for 99% of the album I am entranced. Obviously the human voice is easy to manipulate into any form or context you'd like, but to be able to make an album where I struggle to discern the genre, yet have me totally invested from start to finish, with impressive melodies, a great amount of experiences I would only describe as "out of body," all the while Bjork has gathered some of the best voices I've heard to synchronize with and within herself to make something so (ironically) breathtaking is remarkable. I'm actually at a loss for words because it's hard to describe the feeling this album puts me in, but it is not one unfamiliar to that of other Bjork albums. She can make you feel frigid yet cozy with a single note, and that atop having a pretty solid hook among each of the songs makes it, in my eyes, something worth savoring every moment of.

Meget stolt af at jeg kunne kende Mike Patton på 3. nummer! Acquired taste men samtidig det første Björk album der har ramt plet for mig

A very odd Bjork album (as opposed to her very down to earth ones, lol). Nearly everything is done with just voices. Using choirs, beatboxes and effects on these. It's really pretty, and so impressive. It also has sexy Mike Patton on it, which will always bump things up a star.

Pleasure Is All Mine is....wow. Its a modern exploration of a choral album? It is a cool concept, how do you make a choral album that sounds like the experience of intimacy, giving it these grunts, harmonies, beats. Like listening to an orgy in an art gallery. What to rank this? I think by my own scale it has to be a 5 but its a fundamentally a different experience than just throwing on an album for fun.

Bjork never ceases to surprise me. This album is an entire acoustic adventure. 9/10

ya

So many negative reviews about this Bjork album. It is a challenging listen the first time as it occupies a unique place. Once you have listened to the album a couple times the shock wears off and you can really appreciate what she has created. Very simple and stripped down album, while still being quite complex and rich.

I've only got the Best Of album Bjork compiled from her fans' responses, good to listen to something else. Medúlla was brilliant, loved it.

This was the first Bjork record that I didn't immediately love when it was first released. Over time though, I began to appreciate it more and more. Almost every sound on the album is produced vocally. Mike Patton from Faith No More and Rahzel from the Roots appear. Who is It, Oceania, and Triumph of a Heart are all stand outs but the whole record is so innovative and interesting.

Another old friend. Finally got to see her tour with this album. This woman is a genius on another level.

This Bjork album is tremendous. The arrangements are made up of mostly vocal sounds though not quite entirely a cappella. Reminds me of the group Mycale that did a fully a cappella John Zorn record, but with an edge provided by the harsher tones of Mike Patton, Rahzel, and the Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagac. First rate mouth sounds all around. Enchanting and beautiful from the first note, this is a gem of a record.

one of my favorite bjork albums, really grew on me with each listen, it's such a pleasant experience. really no words for this. ICON.

Took me a while to get into when it first came out, but it's a great record

I've never heard anything like this. Incredible.

Ovo mi je jedan od najdražih albuma nultih

That was a goddamned brilliant study of vocal technique and virtuosity. Blown away, I am. I love Björk even more.

Best thing about this challenge is being reminded to go back to albums I used to love.

Such a good album

I can’t think of another album that has made me feel so humbly human. This serves as such a great testament to the breadth of beauty possible with the human voice. Björk has a great ear for the way that vocal dissonance can electrify every fiber of a listener’s being. Björk presents some very challenging sonic palettes, but the structure of the album does a remarkable job of holding the listener’s hand. An étude and a symphony. One of a kind.

a triumph. impressive in every way, really really really experimental but in a way i love. not particularly listenable but definitely entrancing

first Bjork album I've ever listened to and wow I'm obsessed

Além de sua técnica vocal impressionante, a maneira como Björk transmite emoção e sentimento em suas músicas é envolvente a valer. O disco carrega um clima de tranquilidade ativa. Consegue prender a atenção e satisfaz a alma na quietude.

I feel like when I listen to this album it puts me in a trance. Bjorks singing is just so weird I can’t help to hyper focus on it and it’s awesome how instrumentals are either alcapella or non existent. With all the shit I listen to I’m happy when I can find an album that’s this distinct from the rest

This was my third listen of this album. I’ve heard all of Björk’s solo albums (besides the jazz one, Selmasongs, and the one she did as a child) and I think this is my favorite, although it wasn’t initially and it might change in the future. Despite that, I’m surprised that this (+ Debut and Vulnicura) is even on this list when Post and Homogenic aren’t. I don’t know if I have much to say about the album itself because I don’t have anything insightful to say about it. It’s just good. Favorite songs: “Oceania”, “Pleasure Is All Mine”, “Mouths Cradle”. (Also, by the way: would like to change my ratings for Debut to a 5, Abbey Road to a 4, and Tracy Chapman’s self-titled album to a 3 because my rating system has already changed.)

love

Truly beautiful

Absolutely love this as an idea. And as it turns out, also in its execution. The first Bjork album I didn't pay attention to when it came out, I think after 4 absolutely fantastic albums, I felt I had enough to be going on with and checked out other stuff. Came back to this recently ahead of going to see her at Bluedot. Triumph of a Heart is spectacular (watch the video), Who is It, Oceania also excellent. This has gone from the book but Vulnicura remains, which I find harder to like and find less noteworthy really because of the unique (lack of) instrumentation here. I want to argue with people who think Bjork only makes mental music, get to the point where they're willing to listen to examples to back up the argument, then play Ancestors to them and run away.

Seriously impressive. It is not going to be to averyone's taste, but the vocal control and technical competence is just at a different level to nearly anything else I have ever heard. The phrasing patterns are distinctly Bjork, whether this is her or an effect of having icelandic as her first language I don't know, but it certainly is distinctive. Well constructed harmonies, with minimal instrumentation make this a vocal tour-de-force. There are moments that don't quite work for me - Ancestors is too discordant and chaotic for me, for example

I had mixed feelings when I saw that the album today is from Björk. At the same time, that is not my favorite music style (far from it), but it's impossible to say that she does not bring a great personality and a natural artistic feeling to this list. Given that this album is an excellent way to spend 50 minutes. More experimentalism than I like, but in the end, it's good music. This is the third Björk album that I got here, and I hope this is the last, but if not, I'm sure I'll enjoy the next strange musical trip waiting for me there. It's necessary to rate it with five stars because some music is far from my preference, but it's a piece of art.

ok

Þetta er bara ein besta plata sem ég hef hlustað á. Hljóð-heimurinn er úr annarri veröld. Einnig ekki hægt að gefa íslending hér annað en fimm stjörnur. Við kunnum þetta

Björk is nothing if not interesting. I had "Homogenic" when it came out, it was exceptionally good for creating a mood. Ex took that in the divorce so haven't listened to it in years. I'm liking this one a lot. I may have to go get this and "Homogenic" for my collection.

Yes! More of this, she’s a challenging listen but do like this album.

Anything by Bjork has to be graded on a curve as far as eccentricity goes, so making what's basically an *a capella* album honestly isn't *that* weird; this is more or less an entire album that sounds like the last couple tracks on *Post*, only with fewer beats and more Inuk throat singing. Thematically, Bjork leans hard into her own earth-mother mythos, a development accelerated by the birth of her daughter. In the process she seems to seek to express something essentially feminine: "Where Is the Line" finds her pulled between the two poles of polite deference and hurt frustration at being taken advantage of, while on "Submarine" she calls on her body to wake up from domestic hibernation and rejoin the artistic world. As I said above, this is mostly beatless - which is hard, because the few exceptions, especially the closer "Triumph of a Heart," throb with such powerful energy that you wish for a whole album of that. But on the whole this is a worthwhile and unique change of pace from an always worthwhile, always unique artist.

Fólk virðist annað hvort hata þessa plötu eða elska. Ég elska hana kannski ekki ennþá, en hún vinnur á með hverri hlustun, er töff og margt er ótrúlega flott.

It is fantastically creative and challenging in equal measure. Where it works best is when it manages to maintain a strong sense of melody and structure (Oceania); when it doesn’t have that the experimentation becomes an obstacle.

I am generally not huge on Björk. I have listened to several album of hers and I am still waiting for one to truly click with me. I will keep attempting though. A friend of mine complained about this record and played me a song without context. I wasn't wild about it. Needless to say the lack of excitement was here when I pulled this album. I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It is one of the more interesting albums I have listened to during the challenge. I didn't know what to expect but some things stood out. First the dark atmosphere was great. It really reminded me of some songs across the various projects of Karin Dreijer. Then the whole approach to crafting the album. It deconstructs music down to its rawest form and in most cases instead of instruments, Björk uses human vocals. That makes it standout in front of a lot of albums. I can't say that the concept worked for me in its entirety but it's really ambitious and I like that. I also think that it needs to be listened in one sitting as the tracks and the mood builds up. Listening any song outside of the context of the album would probably result in a similar result to when I had tried to do so. I liked "Desired Constellation" and "Mouth's Cradle" as the blend of excellent electronic elements and vocal harmonies worked exceptionally well for me. The more I think about it, the more I see it as a work of art. I may even have to retract what I said in the first paragraph.

transcending time and space, einfach geil und kreativ

everyone should listen to this at least once in their life, an album made mainly with vocals, some insane concepts on this and creativity

I LOVE HER VOICE SO MUCH! Favourite Songs: Where Is the Line?, Who Is It (Carry My Joy On the Left, Carry My Pain On the Right), Oceania, Triuimph of a Heart. Least Favourite Songs: Öll Birtan, Ancestors.

I will always be fascinated by Björk. I wish I could take a pill that shrunk me down so I could explore the inside of her head. The fact that this is an almost entirely a-cappella album is bananas. Fav song: Who Is It

Trust Björk to produce something this unique. Not many artists would dare to make something so utterly strange, but the voices and beats work together really well. 4

I'm a lucky boy. I didn't remember the generator today, so this one comes to me in the perfect time. I was listening to this record a lot a few years ago, when I did my first Bjork run. After this one came Volta, so I went back to this one and listened to it so much. I think, reflecting back on her career until today, this album is the last one that combines perfectly the experimental eccentric bjork with the amazing pop writer that she is. The only vocal arrangement here is spectacular. Jaw dropping at first listen, and a sound that doesn't exist in any other album I've ever heard. The songs, some charmingly weird and some incredibly catchy, are great. You can really sence the motherhood theme she was aiming for. The opening track, who was it, Oceania, what happens to a heart, all massive bangers. Bjork's vocal work here is just... outstanding in any way. She's expressive, technical and so passionate. It's not one of the albums most people consider a perfect album. Maybe I agree that it isn't. But the influence it has on you when you listen to it from front to back is immense. Tomorrow morning I'll decide if it's a high 4 or 5. Now I'm going to watch Caetano Veloso preformed. Wish me luck. The show was incredible. I'll give this one a 4. Two other bjork albums will get a 5 later. But the 4 is very high

Wonderfully vocally crafted. Envious of anyone who can create music with nothing but your vocal cords.

Hauntingly, creative sounds. I love the dissonance of her voice. This album was wonderful.

Много смешных звуков на протяжении всего альбома, самые смешные в последней песне, афекствининг происходит, мозг балдеет и кайфует

Nice

Well, much like 'Debut' (and possibly all of Björk's albums?), there's certainly some polarizing material here. I'd say about half of these tracks are the auditory equivalent of Jackson Pollock drip paintings: interesting in passing, but too challenging to revisit often (or at all). However, and especially given the techniques that were utilized, the other half of this album is pretty damn amazing. While I regrettably can't award top marks due to the inaccessible drippings, Björk's vision & execution have nothing but my FULL respect on this one.

I love Björk and this album, but it has a few skips for me.

This is so very strange and beautiful. Haunting.

very experimental. there are so many layers happening and it often built a lot of suspense and unease. Her voice is so unique!

vokuro música linda.

Pleasure Is All Mine Where Is the Line Who Is It Oceania Mouths Cradle Triumph of a Heart

Pleasure Is All Mine Where Is The Line Vokuro Submarine Oceania Midvikudags

Gets a bit too Björk-y towards the end, but up until then wonderfully deep and sweet and rapturous.

Nothing but respect for Bjork and her ability to make the most outlandish concepts work

Fantastisch

I have no idea what I'm listening to, but I like it alot.

beatboxing puppy...

women in electronica and alternative music!! I really enjoyed listening to this album, it felt like I was in an icelandic pool or beach. It was a very melodic and fun album to listen to! I enjoyed all of the songs even if some of them were out of my zone. Submarine and Vökuró!! Rating: 4/5 (13.04.2026)

El 90% de este disco son temones. Amo que sea todo beatbox y como canta la mina. Amo la bruja sexy vibe. 4,5⭐️

Well this one had a mission and it delivered 100%. Bjork is always a weird one and how can that not be charming? She does what she wants and it usually works out pretty well. This is no different. She wanted to go all out acapella and its maybe not 100% that but damn near everything here is. Lots of mouth sounds here. Beat boxing and just vocal stuff everywhere. Some electronic stuff tying it all together but its mostly vocal. Its pretty neat. Maybe not my favorite thing but I give it an A for effort for sure. Bjork has a nice voice unless she's trying to not have it. There is the one song where she's grunting and making monkey noises. Thats not my favorite but I get the idea. At this point ive heard 2 bjork albums and this isnt the one id pick but it still has alot going for it. Its a good concept and its pretty most of the time. I'll always be down for more of this ice lady's stylings

This album isn't an easy listen, I suppose, but damn, did I enjoy it! I'm surprised so many people here seem to have hated it—there's such a low tolerance for anything experimental or out of the ordinary. Bjork is a singular creative, and tried something ambitious and strange with Medulla, and I think she succeeded. The fact that the album is almost entirely made up of processed vocals is both apparent and surprising. Haunting, bizarre, driving, and one-of-a-kind.

Strange but pleasant. 3.6/5

I really enjoyed this. Bjork can be a tricky customer, but I appreciated the effort and creativity on display here. The use of voices is genius.

Björk is a mood. Surprisingly her singing as I wandered through a crowded Costco kept me sane?

I knew this would be weird and I was not disappointed. This album is super Icelandic. I did find some of the tracks did not add anything (Ancestors, midvikings) but I listened twice.

I think Bjork may be a bit of an acquired taste, if I wasn't in the right mood I think her vocal gymnastics could be a bit irritating. Fortunately I was in the right mood, though it is a while since I listened to this album. In the right mood it can be both mesmerising and unsettling. Art that challenges is usually a good thing, this does and is.

Amazing songwriter

This is an interesting audio experiment focused on the human voice. It's more of an art piece than a music album, even if you judge it by Bjork's usual standards. There are all kinds of weird vocalisations throughout. I'm not sure you're even meant to enjoy it as such, but listen with interest and smile that someone made something so bizarrely beautifully haunting.

What the hell

WHERE IS THE LINEEEEE

Enjoyed this more than I expected, particularly triumph of a heart

Early in my musical journey I just sloughed off Bjork as some sort of weirdo music that wasn't worth the effort. This list has proved to me that assumption was extremely off base. I have found her albums so far to be refreshingly unique and engaging and I wish I had succumbed to their sonic wiles earlier. While not as enjoyable as her other work, I found this album to be quite captivating. Some of the compositions here don't hit the mark for me, but I really enjoyed the journey.

Speaks for itself.

lots of fun sounds!

Within the context of Björk's discography, a lot of people talk about Medúlla as though it is completely inscrutable. And I don't think that's fair; I will admit that Medúlla is pretty viscerally weird, but at the end of the day, the songs here have a pretty similar form factor to Vespertine, it's mostly just the arrangements that are different. Although, it also wouldn't be honest to downplay what these arrangements are. Medúlla is largely a cappella, and executed with singing, beat-boxing, growling, breathing, throat-singing and other extended techniques. As far as I can tell, the only non-voice parts are some synths and some electronic drum-work. This results in a genuinely experimental album, but Bjork never completely leaves conventional musicality in the dust either. This is still art pop, and if you can acclimate to the sounds, it's still relatively accessible. It isn't like Bjork made a free jazz record or something here. If you enjoy Bjork's other albums that are in a more abstract space, then a lot of the alien beauty on those albums is still here. I do think the limitations here do result in a slightly weaker batch of songs than on something like Vespertine or Vulnicura though. But Bjork executes Medúlla's concept with a lot of poise and grace, and if you are willing to wade through a *little* bit of confusion, it is an extremely rewarding experience.

If you do not like her voice or the unique way she songs, you‘re out. Totally get that. Especially because all the noises here are human voices, some manipulated by effects some don‘t. It’s an avantgardistic, but surprisingly catchy album. Fav: Where is the line

Brilliant!

Ret fedt album

When you see that it’s a near a cappella album you would be within your rights to be a bit weary going in. It’s more conventional music than that suggests, and very good at that. Where Is The Line best track.

So okay, I actually really liked this. I wasn't sure what to expect because I have never listened to Björk before. But this record was really fascinating and unique. In music school I used to play in a contemporary music ensemble where composers would write experimental pieces, so I think I have a higher tolerance for this type of music than some others might have. I'm also a fan of a cappella music, so I found the voices to be really beautiful and captivating. You need a high level of musicianship to be able to make complex music like this, so I think Björk and the other vocalists she worked with on this album are very talented. Beyoncé was supposed to be on this album originally, so it makes me wonder what she would have sounded like in a project like this. I'm definitely going to check out more Björk.

Honestly I love the texures of this album. Her music, though I do enjoy, is still a bit of center for me. It blends in more with the 90s alt sound of Debut and Post, but sometimes come off a bit out there for me here. (especially with "Ancestors"). This album was kind of a tug of war with me about loving the sound though the music made me feel at odds. I'm going to give it a light for because I really enjoy the art of the album, and as always her vocals are emotionally piercing. I think given time and more lessons I could probably go up with this one but I'm going to leave it at a light four stars for now (8.1) ★★★★

4.5

wonderfully raw, almost feral at times, with clouds of vocals and a delicate intensity of emotion

This is really so unique and interesting. she uses her voice in such creative ways. Its a total masterpiece and such a cool art piece but not something i necessarily want to listen to again

super interesting project -- but what else would you expect with Björk. Rounding up this one for its uniqueness.

The queen of noises

one of the greatest singers in human history does a collaborative album focusing on the human voice. that's cool. if you don't think that's cool your heart's a sad place. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

8/10

I liked the first half or so. Very modern feel, good background. Then it becomes too disjointed for my tastes. I would re-listen to the first half. Respect for making this!

the pleasure is ALL MINE

I surprisingly like this one.

What a great and varied soundscape (even beatboxing!)

I’ve bought a few Björk albums over the years, but this is my first time hearing Medúlla and frankly, it’s stunning. It sounds like she retreated to a shamanic monastery with nothing but lungs, mouths and limitless imagination, and fashioned a record that’s uniquely Björk-like, and of course, utterly unlike anything else. The voices swoop and dive, sometimes chiming true like bells, sometimes breathy and halting - sometimes fevered and full of spiritual elation and at other times bursting with existential dread. Without instruments, the emotional impact is multiplied – this is the noise humans make, and it’s beautiful. Full of terror, anxiety, love and joy, and it really is beautiful. 9/10

Listening to this album feels like being touched in an unexpectedly intimate way. This might be a kink for some people, but I find it rather embarrassing and uncomfortable. However, if an album manages to make you feel something and think about how to classify it, then it has done something right. I guess "deep and tingly" are suitable adjectives for the album, so calling it “Medúlla” meaning marrow or core of organs is quite fitting.

This was really good, a nice change from Vespertine which I know slightly better, I would hazard to say this may be the better even as I really like the layered vocals and the strange angelic qualities of the songs. I think many artists try either purposefully or otherwise to be odd or escape convention in music and often that leads to songs that just aren't nice to listen to, Bjork succeeds where these other musician fail, there's a really strong sense of artistry in her work and her oddness shines through as a purely positive trait. I can't give this five stars as I didn't love every single song on the album, though of course all were good. I'm surprised to see three four star albums in a row. Very prepared to get hate for giving this more than Radiohead. 79/100

I could see why people hate this one, but I love it. It's a bunch of human noises. Beautiful human noises, ugly human noises, sometimes beautiful and ugly human noises at the same time, and I love it. To me, this album is like if the human soul was condensed into audio format. Favorite tracks: Pleasure Is All Mine, Submarine, Triumphs of a Heart, Mouths Cradle

8/10 – Very Good

This album is unique and beautiful. I also don't think I'll ever listen to it again. However, I'm glad I did this one time.

This album is actively trying to get me to dislike it. The thing is that it's SO GOOD. The vocals are incredible. when it decides to be a song it absolutely slaps. But then it throws in this avant garde breathing segments that are incredibly off putting. Which is annoying because holy shit this is SO GOOD.

first bjork album on 1001 albums ?? this is so good though idk why i havent heard anyone else talk about this. maybe more experimental than her other work but also feels more her because of that......

This album took some listens before it started to grow on me. I think this is a common occurrence when it comes to Björk's music, specially after 'Post'. Is from that point that her music starts to get super experimental and unusual, and this album is no exception. In addition, I do think that it might be one of her more unique projects, due to 90% of it being done only with voice. The electronics and orchestration are basically nowhere to be found or are very deep in the background, excluding some exceptions where there is clearly not voice related playing. Instead, she uses vocals chops, layers, choirs, beat-box, moans and even Inuit throat singing to create all the textures and atmospheres. And I think she did an incredible job, because this album sounds beautiful. Not as beautiful as 'Homogenic' and 'Vespertine' can get, but still wonderful. When it comes to emotions, I think the album sounds fundamentally sad. The best examples I can think of are: 'Vokuro', a very melancholic track with powerful and ascending vocals that also happens to be the first time I heard her singing in Icelandic. 'Desired Constallation', one of the few songs with some of the most noticeable elements not being a voice, but programming playing a very delicate melody. 'Oceania', which is probably the most ambitious and expressive track of the album. I also believe the songs could be divided in two categories depending of how "ambitious" they are. Songs like 'Show Me Forgiveness', 'Vokuro', 'Oll Birtain', 'Desired Constellation', 'Sonnets / Unrealities XI' and 'Midvikudags' are very minimalist when compared to how much layers and details there are in songs such as 'Pleasure Is All Mine', 'Where Is the Line', 'Who Is It', 'Oceania', 'Mouth Cradle' and 'Triumph of a Heart'. These last songs not only have a lot of details, but also features the most catchy and memorable choruses and verses. In conclusion, this album shows Björk experimenting with the human voice while creating an album with some very beautiful moments.

A listening adventure

Incredibly unique. Delightfully weird. The rare album that made me say "wow" out loud after it ended. Never heard anything like this before, and it would need numerous listens to truly digest and appreciate. If nothing else, this is a stunning, unparalleled work of art.

Very unique listening experience

how have i never listened to this before? she's so freaky i love it. I think i'm more into it because of when it was made. weird for the sake of weird doesn't hit as hard for me in 2025 because there's so much of it. but situating it in the context of 2004 makes it more interesting. I'm always partial to something this vocal heavy. looking at the album credits and seeing she's writer, arranger, programmer, she had her hands on every single element of this. fav tracks include the first song and oll birtan.

I LOVE björk!

My enjoyment - 3/5 I can see what she was going for - 4/5

Adventurous and partly entertaining. Something for the days of extreme artistic needs. Confusing and confused, but it's boldness makes up for it's shortcomings. I wouldn't know to qualify this other than artsy pop experiments.

yes! Weird enough.

Okay. I went through a Björk phase. I’m over it. However, I will say this is one of her most listenable albums for me today, and I can’t explain why. It’s inventive and artsy, but it doesn’t feel like it’s just trying to challenge what the ears can handle. Plus, beatboxing.

I normally donnot favor bajork's singing (especially choir like harmony) and her electronic style is, well, not all to my liking. I mean, it's good and you can tell, but I prefer harder and noiser ones. that's why as soon as I heard she doing some darker and heavier music(not exactly but close enough) I realized I actually like this album. Where's The Line and Who is it are good.

No cóż poradzę, że pokręcony mózg tej kobiety do mnie przemawia. Czy czasem wręcz nie da się tego słuchać? Owszem. Czy i tak ją uwielbiam? Również owszem. Nie jest to jej najlepsza płyta, ale na pewno jest to jedna z odważniejszych. A ja szanuję odwagę. 7/10

At first I was turned off by this, but I actually warmed up to how weird and edgy this is. It’s absolutely unique and Bjork has some unquestionable talent. Some of the songs made me feel genuinely uncomfortable in the best way

I want to come back to this - so interesting

Got it already

Atmospheric excellence! I loved this. My listen was made particularly enjoyable as I pictured Jen walking to the forest lagoon geothermal baths in Iceland as she listed to this album.

that was pretty crazy. i like her. very rhythmic and evocative and guttural in a way i appreciated, even if not something i will reach for probably ever.

The Good: The Medulla! The Bad: Seems that this one is missing the rest of the brain… The Ugly: … a cappella… I am no fan of Bjork… and this is the second Bjork tinted album within a week… so yeah. Still, I must say that I was a little intrigued about this album. It has that certain J’est N’est C’est P’as <—yes, I totally butchered that one. Anyway, back to Bjork and here oddity. Odd enough for me to be intregued and wanting to listen to this again at some point in the future… so here comes a 4*

not boring

interesting arrangements

miniatuur Nina Hagen... haar muziek is niet altijd even goed, maar ze is zeker avontuurlijk... mooi album met veel a cappella

Was skeptical of the a capella but it was very well done. Where Is the Line and Oceania were my favorites on the first listen.

An album I know inside and out - bought the week it was released. Medulla didn’t come out long after Dancer in the Dark - another Bjork album that relied on incidental sounds. I love her approach of relying on vocal instrumentation. Easy 4/5. Deducting one point for some of the tedious moments that come from listening with fresh ears. Core memory unlocked - bought the videoclip for Oceania to watch on my iPod video

I had no idea how versatile an artist they are, wow!

Who is it was the standout for me. Beautifully recorded and such awesome, decisive music, even if it’s not an easy background listen.

I'd much prefer a dozen Bjork albums than a dozen Bowie albums on this list. Bjork is always pushing the edge, but always in an enjoyable way.

This is undoubtedly one of Bjorks middle to bottom half albums, but that's not to say it's bad. There's still a ton of good, cool, interesting stuff here. I almost wish she leaned even further into what differentiates it from her most iconic albums. Still a solid offering from one of the most unique voices in pop/rock history and tacks another one on to just an impeccable complete discography

I definitely didn’t get Björk when I was younger, not sure I totally do now. I will say I can appreciate what she does more than I used to.

The contrast between an inovative album like something from Björk being criminally rated poorly and the "Art-house-Hipster-Coffee-Shop-Indie-Folk-Rock" carrying a bunch of 5s shows how much personal taste biases. 4/5

There’s a fine line between genius and madness and Björk sits firmly in that space.

Some greatness and some weirdness

"Medúlla" is the fifth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. A capella, avant-garde and experimental are the Wiki-listed genres. For sure. After her electronic-influenced previous album "Vespertine," Björk intended to make an album almost entirely constructed with human vocals. Assisting with Björk on the vocals included guests Tagap (Inuit throat singing), Mike Patton, Robert Wyatt, Rahzel, Siomo, Dokaka, the Icelandic Choir and the London Choir. The album was critically acclaimed for its uniqueness although some deemed it confusing. Commercially, the album reached #9 in the UK and #14 on the US Billboard 200. The album opens with "Pleasure is All Mine." Björk harmonizing with some "Ohhh" background vocals. An interesting, underlying panting from Tagap using Inuit throat singing. The second half has some a cathedral choir. A theme of being a giver being more rewarding. "Where Is the Line" has a lot going on: male pummeling noises carrying a rhythm and sounding like gunshots, whistles and an angel-like choir. A grandiose sound. Björk attacks a younger relative for being greedy and unreliable. Rahzel beatboxing keeps the rhythm going on "Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)." Björk effectively using vocal echoes. Björk specifically wrote "Oceania" for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Björk's vocals cover a wide range. The London Choir contributes giving this a big sound. The album closer "Triumph of a Heart" is a rather good dance-pop song. Rahzel, Dokaka and Björk create a dance beat with their vocals. The song is overlayed by Björk's lush vocals. A song celebrating the workings of the anatomy. There are very few artists who could successfully carry off an album entirely of vocals. And Björk does that. Not once is this album boring. There's an array of of different vocal styles and approaches: harmonizing, beatboxing, Inuit throat singing, choirs and random human vocals noises. Nothing gimmicky here either. I doubt that you could repetitively record interesting albums using this method but, Björk manages to accomplish this once in a very good and original album.

She’s definitely a mood but I found this beautiful. When she incorporates a more pop song structure to her music (like track 4 or 5 on this) it’s exceptional.

Fantastic. I need to listen to this again.

I need to say something inflammatory: if you don't like this album, you might be stupid!!!! Calling it "unlistenable" is so lazy and smooth-brained-- Björk doesn't make radio pop, nerd! this is a deeply personal and experimental project, not a top 40 contender. Wish more people would internalize that that before rating her work. "Unlistenable" is also just blatantly untrue!!!! her utilization of the Icelandic choir is so insane, i found myself forgetting this record is acapella. it's obviously nobody's FAVORITE björk album, but the quality and arctic beauty are undeniable.

Turns out that I love Björk and her weird mouth sounds. I can totally see this as being too avant-garde for some.

Was like a vocalised freestyle jazz very experimental somtimes making brief glimmers of resplendance in a sea of madness. Gotta take your hat off. A great vocalist.

I have this record, but it is not something I seen out that often. It not particularly catchy, and Björk is very Björky on it; but I love it. I find it beautiful and odd and an inspirational mix of genres. More of this weirdness, please.

Pretty good.

Bjork has one of the few voices that could pull off this album.

There are parts of this album, like Vökuró, that are simply beautiful. But even the ”worst” tracks here are interesting and grab my attention. An album I must return to. Oh yeah, call me a weirdo, but Ancestors is the coolest thing I’ve heard in quite a while. Björk, Björker, Björkest! 4/5

One of the stranger albums in the Bjork catalog, this isn't exactly a pop album that you blast and sing along to in the car (but you could). It's an achievement in testing the human voice's limits as an instrument and (I say this pretentiously) a force of nature. Creatively, it's an example of how limiting your tools (to primarily vocals in this instance) can produce profound results. The album is at once unsettling, unique, weird, but it is still grounded and familiar, somehow-- I guess the word here is "primal". Some tracks feel like medieval Latin choral arrangements from another universe (or maybe just Iceland), some like pure pop songs with Bjork's usual electronic twist, some like what you might expect to hear as you march to a seance circle in the woods, or to the gallows, or as Charon picks you up in their boat and you sail through the River Styx. It will make you smile in its quirky choices, make you wonder how they achieved certain sounds, and make you cry in its wailing passion. This is not my favorite album, but truly something to hear before you die.

This album is fascinating and sort of mesmerizing. I’ve never gotten into Bjork because I haven’t known when the right mood/time is, but now I know this is music for starting a witchy fall drive in a misty rain on the coast of Maine.

This one really Bjorked me. At times great at times impossible to listen to at times Bjork is moaning in my ear and I liked it.

Interesting. The whole thing is acapella?

Pretty good!

Not as good as Vespertine, maybe not as good as Debut, but pretty damn great. The constant need to take risks, in a world where so many artists play it safe, album after album, is so refreshing. Definitely the highest rating an album with Mike Patton is going to get

Björk éveillait un peu plus mon intérêt dans les années 90. Elle gagne des points pour être une fière représentante de l'Islande.

I like Björk a lot… and while I don’t always like her albums, I always enjoy listening to them. Medúlla is peak Björk: almost entirely a cappella, full of wailing, beatboxing, and moments that feel more like avant-garde theatre than music. But there’s real passion and raw emotion here (fitting for an album about the human experience and named after the Latin for “marrow) which meant, even when I wasn’t entirely sure what I was listening to, I was still kind of into it.

Bjork! Where is the line? She's so cool. Somehow super edgy but purely art. She never comes across as corny. So human. So sensual. So much power. Somehow she makes it ok to listen to ancestors grinding. I've been watching Kill La Kill and she reminds me of Ryuko.

Different in a good way

Weird but good

Did I like it? Sure. Was it revelatory? Not really. Would I pick a different Björk album if I could only have one on the 1001? For sure, and obviously the author agrees with me, as this album is no longer on the list... it was only on the list for a few years, I think. It's pretty good, though. She's quite an artist.

A strange, beautiful, and intimate record using only vocals. It can be off putting, but it creates a vast world and atmosphere within its narrow confines.

Yeah she's just.... a magical creature. Her music, her voice, it's all so unique. It's all such an experience. It's so good. I have to be in the Bjork mood though. Otherwise this is perfection. I will say, some of her more dramatic songs can get... intense. They can be a lot to handle. Definitely a private listening experience preferred. I feel powerful listening to this album. It's so full, of emotion, of complexity, of newness.

I remember this coming out very clearly. It felt like a measure of your musical superiority to enjoy it beyond a track or two. For that reason, I never listened to it, because I hate when something becomes a perceived barrier to entry - you're not really 'into' music if you don't think this is the greatest album/accomplishment of the 21st century. And that brings me to today. On first listen, it felt like an art installation made out of sound that, while you're curious to look/listen, you'd never hang it on a wall in your house. It can be a little hard to digest. Confusing. On second listen, it starts to grow on you...tracks beyond the more pop-sensible songs start connecting. You start opening up to soundscapes that you aren't used to. On third listen, you think, 'I probably want to come back to this exhibit - but I still don't want to bring any friends - I still need to figure this out for myself.' On fourth listen, it feels complete. You don't quite know why. If you listen too closely, it falls apart. It's a confusing delicacy that you still wouldn't hang in your house, serve at your table, or dare challenge someone else to consume. But you've been through it, and you no longer turn away. On the more practical side - Rahzel on the beats was always my favorite part of this album (even 20 years ago when I didn't want to listen to the whole thing). It's so cool to hear the percussive sounds he provides and know...that's a dude doing THAT. Who Is It, Where is the Line, Desired Constellation, and Triumph of the Heart all stand out to me, but the whole thing is a strange and wonderful journey.

classic bjork, high peaks and low valleys, killer vibes.

Fuck yeah, bjork. Not my favorite album of hers, but I had fun.

https://media1.tenor.com/m/ZpaBJ_L7Ik8AAAAd/get-weird-with-it-danny-devito-iasip.gif

Love how she is able to make these sounds.

shit's weird as hell in a good way

I haven’t listened to this in a long time, but I was really into Björk for a couple of years around the time this and Vespertine came out. I’m not much of a Björk fan anymore. I don’t dislike her now, but it’s no longer my thing. This listen though… I don’t know if it’s just the Dolby Atmos, but it hits different this time. It’s very atmospheric and immersive. Her voice is still gorgeous to me I guess. I’m also a sucker for weird avant-garde vocal shit (i.e. Dirty Projectors, with whom she did a collab EP a few years back). I wasn’t expecting to give this much more than 2.5 or 3, but it’s a solid 4. I am, however, annoyed that there are 4 of her albums on the list but they didn’t include her actual best album, Post.

i'm not surprised the rating for this is so low - it's a strange and challenging album. but i think that's why it's perfect for this list. who else is doing it like bjork? this is a creative triumph, even if i didn't always find it pleasant to listen to.

Enjoyed, but a bit to out there for me.

Cool

The human voice is the instrument. This album certainly does not fit into standard pop music. But the experimentation with voice is engaging and is creating a new vocabulary.

This, and Vespertine, are (for me) Björk’s sweet spot.

Weird, eclectic, fun

Third Björk record in the last month, really backloading these. This was great and I really enjoyed it.

First time I've listened to Björk. I've never heard anything like this album. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful. Very weird and Avant-Garde. Interesting beatboxing and use of vocals in place of instruments.

Magnificently weird

I don't know if I'll ever listen to this again, but I'm glad that it exists.

Challenging and super rewarding. Step into the Emotional Thunderdome with Björk!

An okay album, I liked Oll Birtan and Desired Constellation the most.

Good sounds

I have no idea how to rate this album. I get the one star reviews. I get the 5 star reviews, and I've listened to it twice through so far and it's definitely starting to grow on me. Is it something I'm likely to listen to for "fun"? Probably not, but I respect the shit out of it and it was great to listen to something so far out of my comfort zone.

Great concept and wonderful performances by all of the vocalists.

4.5/5. Medulla oblongata.

“Medúlla received critical acclaim from music critics, with many calling it ‘unique’, although others deemed it ‘confusing’.” (Wikipedia) This quote sums up the album pretty well: it’s very weird and it left me confused in the end, but the production was awesome and the songs are by no means bad. The unique concept kicks it up a notch.

Det kan let vokse på mig. Hørte første halvdel med headset. Tydeligt at mærke at det er produceret med sans for detaljer. De flød lidt ud da jeg var nød til at lytte på højtalere senere. Jeg har ikke hørt Björk synge på Islands før, dét var ret fortryllende.

Around the quality of a 3 but I’ll give it an extra star cause I enjoyed it. That being said this is most likely her worst on the list

I liked this quite a bit. Didn't feel gimmicky or anything, really compelling. Helps that her voice is amazing

erste song hani eaaasy geils arrangement vode vocals gfunde. hetmer fr fr gfalle. zweite song meh. dritte song easy weird mit beatbox und so aber irgendwie huuuere geil? slappt no? vokuro huuuere schöne chor. woaaa. und isch uf isländisch ööh. oll birtan goht etz au no hard. scho sehr speziell. aber ich bi gad easy drin. who is it. bitz nervige veatbox beat aber sie het etz halt nur stimme wölle uf dem album glaub. jo beatbox nöd miis aber dass e throat sängerin us victoria island druf isch goht so hard kanadischi inuks (ich glaub sie heissed so) so faszinierend. sie chilled afoch i dene insle obe. submarine checki null und d schnuufer findi bitz unagnehm aber scho auno geil irgendwie mit dududududud shit und so sie mached afoch so blubbere. desired constellation au no nice, sehr hypnotisch gad chli vergesse dasi am lose bin. ancestors isch seeeehr streng. uf mouth cradle stört mich ihri art zum singe wieder bitz. triumph of a heart scho au wieder recht cool, ich wür glaub alles nöd nomol lose aber es isch uuuhuere interessant.

I finally found an album tag actually let me use my ap music theory knowledge. Its experimental and wierd but really its just a choir album sounds all round pretty good.

I admit my hear sank a little when the second Bjork album in less than a week showed up but Medúlla was a surprise. I enjoyed this. It is a largely vocal album with Bjork multitracked and accompanied by choirs, beatboxers (thankfully on just enough i.e. few occasions) and, somewhere amongst this, the likes of Mike Patton and Robert Wyatt. The instrumentation is light, limited for the most part to beats and sub-bass. The songs display influences from European classical, choral, music and pagan chanting - there is even some throat singing in there. I am not familiar with Bjork's catalogue an, while this is not going to be on regular rotation, I did like it and will listen again. And perhaps I will be less reluctant should another Bjork album show up. But not this week...

spennende

Il concept è il migliore tra gli album di Björk. Aveva partorito da poco e si sentiva così legata a una nuova vita, così umana che ha deciso di abbandonare il computer e fare tutto con le voci. Bellissimo. Tra i suoi album è quello con più alti e bassi secondo me, ha i suoi capolavori e poi ci sono Ancestors e Submarine…

A light four. I like it less than the last Bjork album I got but I find the middle chunk of songs seriously impressive. Thought it was no where near as inaccessible and weird as a lot of people say about her music. It’s still very melodic.

Fractionné et éthéré

Jävligt konstigt, men kan inte låta bli att tycka att det är jävligt bra också. Öppningsspåret träffade rätt in i själen!

Det känns spännade i kroppen när man lyssnade på den

I'm not 100% sure what to make of this one. I think I really liked it lol not sure why though. Good job I think

I enjoyed this a lot more than the last Bjork album. What a wild sound, the woman is crazy, in a good way!

Konzeptionell interessantes Album mit sehr guten Ideen.

Bjork is a visionary but I can’t see myself reaching out for this album for enjoyment that often.

Brilliant - so different. I really enjoyed this, working through the layers with repeated listenings. I will definitely come back to this. I am glad that there is a Bjork in this world

Not quite in the top 3 Bjork albums for me, but still endlessly creative and interesting to listen to, with a couple songs that are some of my favorites across the entire discography.

Björk, not a big fan...album wasn't even on list of essential Björk album...read some reviews and was really mentally prepared for the worse...But what a great album!!! Truly unique, had for me a "sacred feeling"...LOVED IT!

Liked it.