Medúlla

I do like some Bjork. But "Post" is in my opinion the far greater album.

The voice is a human instrument, perhaps the most important of them all. People have often understood its usage but only some can truly understand its hidden potential. Björk most certainly saw to that with Medúlla, a left turn that could rival her most celebrated left turns. As always, Björk will never settle for complacency and will do whatever she can to challenge herself whilst knowing that her audience will still be there anyway. Medúlla, probably her most underrated record, can either confound or complicate one's expectations yet respect is a given. Favorites: Pleasure is All Mine, Where is the Line, Vokuro, Oll Birtan, Who Is It, Submarine, Oceania, Ancestors, Triumphs of a Heart.

I rarely choose to put on a bjork album but every time I do it’s a nice time.

Never listened to this before. Was interesting and atmospheric, but not as accessible/fun as her earlier stuff. More Sigur Rós than Sugarcubes, I guess.

Hell yeah~! More Björk. This is nowhere near unlistenable to me, but I guess tastes differ haha.

Two days ago the 1001 Gods selected Ys by Joanna Newsom which is one of my favourite albums. I said then that she was a phenomenon all on her own and nothing else matched her. But then I was forgetting about Bjork who like Joanna Newsom has a sound all of her own. Don’t think I’ve ever sat down before to listen to this album. Like a lot of her stuff quite a lot of the tracks are instantly accessible but one or two do leave you thinking what the hell was that about? But I like that challenging sound and appreciate how hard Bjork has worked to produce her unique sound. Didn’t get around to listening until late at night which as it happens is probably the best time to do so. Certainly not an album for the school run or titivating oneself up before a night on the beer. Like most Bjork albums another one to file under “must listen repeatedly and critically to understand it” section. Which I hope to do one day but which I suspect is futile as Bjork does not want it that way. Doing so would also mean seeing a glimpse of what’s inside her head and I don’t think I really want to go there. 4/5 7/3/25

If there’s one thing you can always count on from Björk, it’s that she’ll never take the easy route. Medúlla is one of her most fascinatingly bizarre albums—an almost entirely vocal-driven experiment where the usual lush instrumentation is stripped away in favor of layered human voices, beatboxing, and choral arrangements. The result is an album that feels primal, futuristic, and at times, downright unsettling. Tracks like Where Is the Line and Mouth’s Cradle push the boundaries of what a song even is, while Who Is It and Triumph of a Heart bring in enough structure to keep things from feeling completely unhinged. It’s weird, challenging, and often beautiful, but definitely not an easy listen. The genius of Medúlla is in its textures—Björk turns voices into rhythm, harmony, and even noise, creating an album that feels both deeply human and strangely alien. At times, though, it can feel more like an art project than a fully realized album. The absence of traditional instruments makes some moments feel hollow, and while the vocal experimentation is impressive, it can also be overwhelming, like listening to an avant-garde a cappella group trapped in an echo chamber. It’s ambitious, but not always something you want to put on. Still, you have to admire the sheer audacity of Medúlla. It’s not Björk’s most accessible work, but it might be one of her most daring. It’s an album that sounds like it was made in a world where instruments don’t exist—just voices, breath, and raw emotion. Whether that makes it a masterpiece or a fascinating misstep depends entirely on how much you’re willing to let Björk drag you into her strange, otherworldly vision.

A seminal work, one of Björk most difficult records. Despite being a huge fan of her work, this used to be the one album I did not return to as often, but eventually it clicked. I remember watching Björk perform "Oceania" at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens when I was a kid and at the time I didn't like at all. Of course that completely changed a few years later. Here, Björk strips music down to its primal origins, with arrangements that consist only of voices and vocal samples, and employing a whole host of famous or soon-to-be-famous collaborators such as Mike Patton, Rahzel, Robert Wyatt, Tanya Tagaq, and some japanese weirdo called Dokaka. While I don't think this album is as essential as Homogenic or Post (both not on the list), this is when Björk began veering more and more into abstract territories, effectively leaving pop sensibilities behind for the avant-garde. Key tracks: Pleasure Is All Mine Where Is the Line Who Is It Oceania Mouth's Cradle Triumph of a Heart

As I said already, my flavor of weird

Don’t ask me to explain this because I can’t: Fiona Apple, but as a space robot?

Her voice is the instrument.

Björk - Medúlla Really interesting album, yet it sounds really beautiful. I like the fact that Björk went all for it and experimented a lot of new sounds all throughout this album, mostly using voices, acapella and beat-boxing. It surprised me how out of this world this album sounded despite the fact it was just a bunch of people singing at different frequencies and tones, the fact that they barely or haven't used any instruments to this is incredible. This is great! 1.- Pleasure Is All Mine = 9/10 2.- Show Me Forgiveness = 6/10 3.- Where Is The Line = 10/10 4.- Vokuro = 8/10 5.- Oll Birtan = 6/10 6.- Who Is It (Carry My Joy On The Left, Carry My Pain On The Right) = 9/10 7.- Submarine = 8/10 8.- Desired Constellation = 7/10 9.- Oceania = 9/10 10.- Sonnets / Unrealities XI = 7/10 11.- Ancestors = 8/10 12.- Mouths Cradle = 10/10 13.- Midvikudags = 6/10 14.- Triumph Of A Heart = 8/10 FINAL SCORE 8/10

Hauntingly beautiful. Felt like I should've listened to well after dark. Last track lost the haunting aspect. Still beautiful voice and sound cool, but haunting doesn't apply

yes sss bjork my goat. this list needs more albums like this, actually interesting and unique stuff that bangs

This evolution of Bjork makes so much sense. She thinks about music and vocals differently from most, so why not an almost completely a capella pop album? I feel like her discography is like a dissertation and intellectually I love this album and the big swing it takes. I liked listening to it, but only a few tracks really stood out. I would rate as a 3.5, but bumping up to 4 for the sheer audacity of the project.

Another Bjork album I had not heard previously and another one I really enjoyed overall. A couple of real stand out tracks ("Who is it" in particular). Real drama and epicness (?) to the album - unfortunately a couple of bum tunes ("Ancestors") where the crazy gets dialled to 11 means its not a 5. Strong 4. Will return.

The multilayered acapella vocals are just gorgeous. It’s as if Björk reached into the earth and pulled out something primordial.

It's weird, but then again, it's Bjork so of course it is. It's charming, interesting, and unique. Ideal for this list.

Medulla is Bjork's fifth studio album, and recording comprised almost entirely a cappella. Her previous effort, Vespertine, involved extensive electronic tracks, and these songs are as far from that format as possible. Bjork uses voices for all arranged parts - including a pseudo-slap bass. These are interesting, challenging songs that could be called avant garde, or could be an "alt-classical." These are not songs that will appeal to all ears, but they are interesting, beautiful songs.

listened to again fascinating

This is a headphones album for sure. My first Björk album, and I'm kinda into it? It's weird, but I knew it would be going in. The use of vocalizations instead of instruments is really cool and makes for an interesting but cohesive sound.

Qué se yo, estoy re loco. Un viaje con muchísimos arreglos vocales. Nota: 4.2

This is…really great haha. It’s one of the albums on here that I’m really glad is on here. I didn’t even realize the point of it until the third track, where everything is vocal. It’s neat. I don’t think I’d ever listen to it for fun? Haha it’s a little intense. And I wouldn’t necessarily call it pretty. But I do like it a lot!

Acquired taste

Soundscape with voices alone, very creative and interesting. Some electronics. Beatboxers, throat singers. Quite beautiful and gentle.

Odd but good

Where is the line, Vokuro, Oll Birtan, Who is it, Oceania, Ancestors, Mouths Cradle, Triumph of a heart

This is a pretty divisive album in a number of different circles but I happen to like it a lot. Of course the album is creative and ambitious, but still interesting and well-executed, something that not all “ambitious” projects can lay such a prominent claim to. 5 albums in a Björk hasn’t missed. 8/10

When Bjork commits to a concept for an album she commits hard, sometimes to the detriment of the album. This isn't my favorite Bjork album by a long shot, but it's hugely ambitious, always interesting, and has some really beautiful tracks.

So far, I've rated a Björk album 5 stars and two others 3 stars each. Fact is, she's a weird artist. And this is a weird album by a weird artist. But this is one of those weird albums that works - against all odds. In general, I'm not a fan of minimalistic approaches in music. I prefer to be blasted with full-on maximalism. Give me that full, bombastic instrumentation and all of the complex, dense, ever-moving soundscapes. That's definitely not what this album is. And yet, it works. It's cool, it's new, it's fresh, and it sounds good.

Very cool! Don’t know that I’d listen to any song on its own but great sound

I've been aware of Bjork forever but never explored her music. I know a couple of the big singles, like Army of Me, The Hunter, and the newest one, Oral, with Rosalia; and I've listened to/enjoyed the Sugarcubes. But Bjork was one of those artists who was always kind of cool but a little too weird for me. I might have to change that after hearing this album. Is it weird as hell? Yes. Is it cool and interesting? Also yes. This album is kind of like what would happen if you combined Pentatonix, Imogen Heap, Nine Inch Nails, The Hu, and a classical choir — all things I enjoy (I contain multitudes, okay?). This album runs the gamut from ethereal choral pieces to quirky pop songs to just bizarre stuff that doesn't sound like anything else. The fact that this album was made with minimal use of instruments and is mostly made up of vocals is insane. Bjork's voice is probably one of the most distinct voices in recent music history — that rich alto is instantly recognizable, and few people can make screaming and growling sound so good. Who Is It? is a certified banger, as is Triumph of a Heart — I can see why those were singles. Where is The Line? is a cool kind of industrial/choral song. Submarine and Oceania are also great but completely different vibes. The songs where she sings in Icelandic are cool too. This is definitely a strange album, but it's also really cool and atmospheric. And Bjork is one of the few modern musicians who really does something original. 4/5

Björk's music is so surreal, so psychedelic and creative, that it very nearly defies logic. Medúlla is no exception. I am bumping it down a notch for the music being less accessible to general audiences than some of her other entries on this list (e.g. Debut, Vespertine). But it's still excellent stuff – really, mind-bending rather than necessarily pleasant. Mind-bending in the best possible way. Björk's overlapping vocal arrangements on this album are easily the highlights, particularly in tracks like Mouths Cradle, Where Is The Line, and Triumph Of A Heart, where she really goes all in on the weird avant-garde scatting. The music is bursting with personality, ideas, and musical virtuosity. It's insane. The music is quite minimalist, with instruments (or even non-vocal sounds in general) being used sparingly. A few of the tracks, particularly on the first half of the album, do suffer a little from this, particularly as Björk's accent makes her lyrics hard to make out at times. Show Me Forgiveness, Vokuro, and Oll Birtan (tracks 2, 4, and 5) are essentially 100% vocals-and-nothing-else songs. I worry it could get a little stale, especially upon album relistens. There's not much to glean from these kinds of tracks without dissecting the lyrics and melody, and if you're not that kind of listener, you can feel a little lost in the weird wonderland of Björk. 4/5 Key tracks: Mouths Cradle, Oceania, Triumph Of A Heart

This album is fucking sick Jesus Christ.

where is the line with you is a fucking triumph jesus. also her voice is just so unique and powerful mmm.

Is this perfect? No. Is it for everybody? Christ no. But if you're a certain kind of person (and I am), when this hits, it *hits*. Some inessential stuff in the middle, but what a start and end.

I didn't really need to listen to this again to rate it, but I was always gonna. Brilliant album, not my favourite of hers but definitely up there.

(*Icelandic breathy moaning intensifies*) Now I love Bjork and nearly everything she does, but I will say this is probably one of her most "experimental" albums, and will definitely not be for everyone! The almost sole use of spoken word and vocal noises instead of instruments definitely gives it a very specific, intimate air and basically you're listening to a group of people breathing heavily at you for the best part of an hour... That being said, still some great tunes here, and Triumph of the Heart is on my regular rotation for a reason. Faves: Who Is It; Oceania; Triumph of the Heart

An experimental journey into the avant-garde world of Björk. It took a few listens to truly dive in deep to appreciate but the creativity is off the charts.

very compositionally interesting. not bjork’s best, but a very neat album.

Un viaje, muy flashero. Con suerte hay dos instrumentos en todo el disco, es raro, va.

Björk Truly is something else

Listening to Bjork is like stumbling into a room full of people who are far smarter than you and listening in. You learn something, you feel like you are probably getting about 70% of whats going on and am ok with that and you hope in a few years it makes more sense when you've caught up. I love her independence, the absolute drive forward, the energy and production quality. At times it did sound like i was listening to a christmas album from a world filled with orcs and elves, but thats not necessarily a bad thing.

Bjork es una figura fascinante en la música contemporánea. Por muchos motivos, sus obras abarcan estilos y corrientes variadas pero todas de enorme valor y calidad. Si bien sus tres pimeros discos son más accesibles y junto a Vespertine serían los más recomendables para iniciarse en su mundo (Sugarcubes al margen), este Medulla es otra obra de arte. Sucede a Volta, un disco que no estaba a la altura de la trilogía inicial, pero no deja de ser un buen álbum. Sin instrumentos, solo voces (y un gong), con la participación de colaborades tan dispares como Mike Patton (Pleasure is all Mine y Where is the Line) o Robert Wyatt (Submarine), lejos de ser un debe se integra en el concepto del álbum. Hay de todo: techno en Triumph of a Heart, Vokuro que es una vieja canción islandesa para piano con un coro de 20 voces, Oceania un tema que sirvió para las Olimpiadas de Atenas. Un gran disco. Otros discos de 2004: Heroes to Zeros de The Beta Band, Nick Cave- Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus, Arcade Fire- Funeral, Wilco – A Ghost Is Born, Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand, Tom Waits – Real gone, Morrissey - You are the quarry. También: Sonic Youth- Sonic Nurse, TV on the radio- Desperate, Youth, Blood, Green Day - American Idiot, Bart Davenport – Game Preserve, Interpol – Antics, Modest Mouse – Good news for people who love bad news, Brian Wilson – Smile, Lambchop – Aw c’mon / No you c’mon, The Dears – No cities left, The Divine Comedy – Absent friends, The Delgados – Universal audio, Kasabian-Kasabian, The Organ - The Organ, Adan Green - Friends of mine, Ye (Kanye West)- The College dropout, Keane- Hopes and feras, Pinback-Summer in Abaddon...

Weird as shit, cool as shit. It isn't too often you hear something this weird and unpredictable. Favorites were Who Is It, Oceania, and Triumph of a Heart

One part Experimental Björk and one part a capella equals a wonderfully ethereal sort of record. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4. This is the second time we’ve gotten Bjork, and this is a much, much different album than Vulnicura. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. This is a really ballsy album to try and pull off, and frankly, she succeeded entirely at what she set out to do – every instrument here is a voice. Some of it processed to hell and back, but impressive all the same. It gives every track a uniform sound, but not a uniform style, and the versatility that she explores throughout this album is kind of remarkable given its general somber and almost spiritually driven tone. I could be misreading the album as somber though – I’m just going off the vibe of most of the tracks, a lot of which feel slow, intentional, breathy, and a bit held, as if to give everything its own space to shine. The exception to this is obviously Triumph of a Heart, and in a way, I’m glad she reserved herself from making more tracks like that – it makes that one stand out, feel special, and connect really well as the final track of the overall experience. I definitely hit the zen state a few times while listening here, but I think the album didn’t do a great job of keeping me in it – for as ambitious as this is, it does fall apart under its own weight a few times. There’s some production choices I disagree with, and there’s a number of times where the melodic structure is lost (albeit intentionally) in favor of a slightly off-beat rhythm that never quite found the balance between musically pleasing and captivating for me. Make no mistake, though – this is a captivating album. It’s 45 minutes that’ll sort of take you every which way, but you have to be willing to go along with the journey. I don’t necessarily blame anyone who could give this a 2, because it is abrasive, unnatural, and discomforting, but if you’re willing to accept that, it’s an enjoyable enough listen on the strength of its ambition. Anyone giving this a 1 is just too afraid to be challenged by music. For me, it’s a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4, if only because I respect its ambition so much, and I was genuinely really captivated by the album. It’s not strong enough to carry its own weight and its own concepts for the full 45 minutes, but when this album is rolling, it’s a beautifully layered mess that’s a treat to listen to. Even when it’s not rolling, it’s just a layered mess that’s technically sound, and that’s still an interesting listen in its own right. I liked it, what can I say?

It’s Björk. Very creative and interesting. Who Is It is a great song. Overall it’s ambitious, but it ant not my favorite of hers. Gotta be a 4/5 though.

I appreciate the vision and creativity of this album and what she was reaching for, creating these soundscapes purely with human voices. Just the audacity of the attempt is refreshing and worth a lot. Having said that, it's often a challenging album, especially compared to some of her previous works. The song structures are so...unstructured or, I don't know, symphonic at times? There was even a moment where a song began and all of these voices started layering in and it reminded me so much of an orchestra warming up before a performance. And I think most listeners are really not used to listening to symphonic music these days, so this is an album that might demand more from the listener. It really requires you to take the time and space to engage with it. I also find a lot of its themes to be rather somber. For these reasons, I don't enjoy it as much as some of her other works, even though I have big respect for it as art.

Very solid opening with the weird panting haha Have to appreciate the individuality of the artist I like the layering of all the chaos to make something beautifully terrible. Idk I kinda like it It sounds like what watching a thriller feels like

The pleasure is all mine To get to be the generous one Is the strongest stance The pleasure is all mine To finally let go And evenly flow Who gives most Good album. She has the most incredible voice, and the whole thing feels dreamy and profound. 4/5

This album is impressive just for the fact that it’s composed primarily of human voices

Listening to this reminds me of the time that alien spider/lizard hybrids invaded my hometown - really weird but ultimately sexually gratifying. I'll let your imagination fill in the details

Bjork defies words, so just - Fantastic!

Bjork is exceptional right? Just incredibly imaginative. some of it does jar with me but on the whole I'm always just wowed by how complex and fearless her music is.

This was good, very experimental and interesting. I can't say I'll listen to it much day to day but it was certainly cool. No bangers like debut or the swan one has but still good.

It’s Björk at her Bjorkiest and Rahzel for crying out loud! Not sure when I’d be in the mood to listen to this again but it was a really fun ride. This list has taken my Björk knowledge from 0-3 and each one has been very different. I think I like Björk?

That voice. I have always wanted more of that voice. And this album offers a surplus. It comes in many strange shapes and colors. Certainly any semblance of pop music has long since left building. At this point she is making art. As such - it is somethings beautiful and engaging and other times confounding and alienating. I'm not sure by what standard to rate this album - especially next to something by the Stones, the Who or even Joni Mitchell or Coltrane. It seems more like it belongs in a museum.

Not her best but still great

I really liked weird Bjork back in the nineties. I thought Debut was brilliant. Then she started getting weirder.. and I think I made an assumption I wouldn’t like it and it wasn’t for me. Well how wrong was I. I throughly enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Turns out weirder Bjork is good too.

Only Björk could make an album like this. One that feels as magical as it does, yet evokes the rawest form of human spirit.

I figured I would hate this, but I love what she did here. It's a unique experience, an album that's mostly acapella but if you stop listening to it intensely, it sounds like normal music. That's an achievement.

I like it! 4/5

If early Skrillex was a signal from the transformers, then this was an eloquent message from aliens outside our solar system. Otherworldly, gracious, delicate, tactful. Maybe not totally ‘music’ as it’s known, but most definitely inimitable art

other worldly

4☆/5 08.24.2024

Bjork is great, you don't need me to tell you this

loved all the different harmonies/sounds she used.

++: Where Is the Line, Öll Birtan, Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) +: Pleasure Is All Mine, Show Me Forgiveness, Vökuró, Submarine, Oceania, Ancestors, Mouths Cradle, Triumph of a Heart +-: Sonnets / Unrealities XI, Miðvikudags -: Desired Constellation 8,1/10

Just weird enough for me. Loved the ee cummings poem. Some bits felt too off the wall for me but I just enjoyed the journey.

Definetly a unique Björk.

Very experimental, but also very unique and outstanding, like her other work. I don’t hate it or love it but I like it very much. I really must be in the mood to listen to this whole album again, but this actually is the matter for me with every Björk album.

Bjork isn't for everyone. But everyone should hear her. Personally i think she's a genius. Ahead of her time, never confined to the constraints of pop music but always tapping into pop sensibilities. This album is weird, daring, beautiful and unique. Just like Bjork. 9/10 True art

Great stuff.

Bjork is just my type of weird.

Only Björk, I guess. I think I pegged this for a strictly vocal album from track one, and I was curious what my reaction at the end of it was. In a word, "mixed". In several, it's a well executed record where the "instrumental" vocals occasionally come off somewhere between weird theater performance and crummy a capella group (looking at you, "Ancestors"), but at certain points make for genuinely cool, robotic-ish dance music. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Where Is The Line", "Desired Constellation", "Triumph Of A Heart"

this was a really fascinating album. obviously a lot of it is voices and altered voices (nearly all of it?) and the music can be a little bit challenging at times, but i found it all fairly compelling. it's an album that sounds cool. although i think at points it's definitely difficult to listen to. i had never listened to bjork before and often i hear her spoken in the same breath as yoko ono, and honestly i do not see the similarity between this and yoko's works (i do enjoy yoko as well) beyond "woman with unconventional voice is making weird music" - all that being said, i did enjoy my time with this one.

odd and quirky, björky

Björk is a one of a kind artist.

Something as unusual as a (mostly) a capella pop-ish studio album. A few tracks Where is The Line are quite bizzare, but also quite interesting. This is definitely not easy listening, but there's definitely depth and quality here, and I think there are more layers I want to uncover, so probably going to listen to this again soon-ish. Seems like a 4.

What a strange (in the best way) album. I don't think every song lands for me, but the ones that do are truly incredible. Even though I knew this album was almost entirely a capella, I still wasn't prepared for how innovative and different it is. Definitely worth a listen, even if you don't connect with the songs themselves. Top tracks: Where Is the Line, Oceania, Mouths Cradle

I quite like this, appreciate that it’s all vocals. Not as good as Petra Haden’s all acapella song by song remake of the great album The Who Sell Out” (well worth seeking out if you’re unfamiliar with it. I also got to listen to this in 5.1 surround, since I have the “Medulla Surrounded”, edition, a CD/DVD set with surround sound and videos on the DVD. I got it through the BMG Music Service CD club, back in 2004.

Not my favourite Björk record, as it kinda struggles to hang together, but I totally respect the commitment to artistic intent on each track.

Finishes better than it starts. Yes, it's quite challenging. Yes, it is quite innovative. It's not something I'd listen to every day, but it is something I might put on if I was bringing a woman home and she'd said that she liked Björk.

I had to wait to be in the right specific mood for this album, but then I listened twice in a row. Hunting and mesmerizing

I have to give so much credit to this album just because it’s so unique. Not a bad listen, either, what a fun surprise.

Beautiful

So I have loved the previous (earlier) Bjork albums I've had from this list, but this one is really pushing the limits of how much I enjoy her experimentation. I do not think it is bad in any way and I truly appreciate the concept of a fully human record, but it simply can be an awkward listen at times. 7/10

4/5

I like the majority of Bjork's work and this is no exception. I don't think this is quite 5 stars for me but it is really good. Bonus points for having Mike Patton involved. P.S. Homogenic and Post really should've made this list.

This list has made me a fan of Bjork

You have to respect Bjork for giving no quarter to the concept of trying to sell records or being concerned about anything other than her artistic vision. Here she produces an album formed almost entirely from human vocals, but keeping it arty and a million miles away from Glee or Pitch Perfect style acappella. Choral chanting and weird beatbox sounds feature heavily in support of Bjork's unique lead vocal. I genuinely don't know if I like it or not, but either way it's a success on its own terms and is hugely impressive. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Who Is It Date listened: 19/04/24

Why don’t I hate it? i have no idea

Because it is very interesting and I can see it being a must listen, I give it 4 For my tastes it is a 3

Standouts: Where is the Line, Who is It, Triumph of a Heart 3.75

Had this in my ears as I went outside to enjoy the 2024 eclipse, specifically Desired Constellation, and wow. I couldn't have picked a better soundtrack for an eclipse if I tried. This album is delightfully weird, wonderful, and utterly singular. It had been many years since I'd heard this album, and I definitely have a deeper appreciation for it after revisiting it.

Comme à son habitude, Björk ne fait aucune concession et explore de nouveaux territoires. Parfois brutal et dérangeant, toujours intrigant

Great stuff. Lovely clean vocals. Bit kookie but in a good way.

Wow, actually really enjoyed this one. As much as I've struggled with Bjork's music, this album clicked for me. Production was really cool, lots of great sonic choices, and some nice off-the-wall songs too. Just much more engaging and interesting to me than what I can remember of the other albums we've had. Almost makes me want to try those again, as if this flipped a switch for me. But yeah, this was pretty great. Favorite tracks: Where is the Line, Oll Birtan, Submarine, Ancestors, Mouth's Cradle, Triumph of a Heart. Album art: Bjork wearing a freaky deeky knitted Mickey Mouse/Batman kind of mask? And she's got a strange necklace that spells Medulla (I think). It's a striking cover, I think I like this more than some of the others she's got. 4/5

This was really cool. I’m generally not a fan of a cappella music, but the variety of voices and sounds on the album are used to an impressive and haunting effect. Worth revisiting. Favorite tracks: Where Is The Line, Vökuró, Mouth’s Cradle

Bjork has such a unique sound. I never know what I will get when listening to an album by her. I love everything she does.

A mature weirdness from Bjork!

This. Is. FANTASTIC! I've heard Bjork songs before and really enjoy the sounds of her voice. But the opening, and first half of this album have very discordant melodies that almost flow like am opera. I LOVE THIS and am so glad you introduced this album! I'm going to play it on repeat. OH, but there were a couple of songs that sound like pop songs, especially the very last song. Didn't like those. So I'll give her 4 stars.

After 1 Sugarcubes & 2 solo albums, we are at Björk no. 4 Unexpected CanCon with Tanya Tagaq 🚨 Though using “Ancestors” as an example, this is definitely not an album to put on at a party. Inuit throat singing sometimes induces a fight-or-flight response in me :0 Other songs give off renaissance fair vibes (Öll Birtan) Definitely pushes into a more ambient soundscape, as hinted at in Vespertine (“Desired Constellation”) Like her debut, a mixed bag in the best way. It’s too niche and strange to go around recommending this to my friends (even compared to the other 3 Björks), but it’s also a gem I’m glad to have come across. HL: “Where is the Line”, "Vökuró", "Who is It", “Oceania”, “Mouth’s Cradle” February 15, 2024

Weird ass album

Honestly, I thought this was awesome and I'm gonna come back to it. It's creepy, dramatic, and weird, but Bjork sneaks in some catchy pop moments that sneak up and grab you. The way she uses beatboxing in these tracks is also super sick; it reminded me a little bit of soundcloud rap at times. Favorite Songs: Pleasure Is All Mine, Who Is It

Loved it tbh. I think I like albums where the production feels very raw and there’s nothing between my ears and the artist’s voice. I felt that way about the lead vocals on this album, although the background / accompanying vocals were of course heavily modified. Awesome rhythmic stuff even if there were some weird sounds sometimes. 8.5/10

Bjork weird as fuck but still pretty good. Throat singing song was one of the strangest I’ve ever heard. 7/10

Not my favourite Bjork album, but still very good with a decent share of 5 star songs.

Strange and beautiful. Two of my favourite adjectives.

It's Björk! What did you expect? It's unusual, experimental, sometimes annoying, sometimes elevating. It's music you should listen to, it's not made to please you.

I started doing this project so I would be sure to always have something new to eat up a chunk of time while I’m driving at work. Since I’m at work I need to be sober. I really need to listen to this album again when I’m stoned. I prefer when she sings in her native Icelandic language, I don’t have to worry about understanding her or how weird her pronunciations are. But in all it’s very neat and haunting stuff. But it’s also not something you’d want to randomly pop up in your Spotify feed.

Whoa, this is incredible! Bjork uses the power of vocals and harmonies to anchor the soundscape. Some breathy sounds aren't my favorite but are very effective.

Unique ethereal sound

Spooky and whimsical

Singles: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) Triumph of a Heart Probably the most listenable Bjork album - with just a little bit of Bjork-weirdness. I like this one. Standouts: Who is it, Where is the Line, Pleasure is All Mine, Triumph of a Heart, Oll birtan. 4/5

🧞‍♀️

on savait déjà que tout le monde était sexiste ici

glorious execution. In the end its all about the execution.

Cool af some bangers. Tight when piano comes in, but the voice stuff is fun

I liked this way more than I should

My favorite bjork album on the list. She gets really out there

Have heard a lot about Björk, but never really explored her music. At first I wasn't that struck, but it grew on me after a while. The album is quite uneven; there are many songs that didn't really pan out that well, like 'Ancestors' with the weird breathing and moaning, or 'Where Is The Line' with strange sampled vocals that make up the bassline. I think I would describe it as more impressive and interesting rather evoking of that primal feel you can get when you hear some really good music where you just want to hear it again. Many times there are only acapella vocals and choirs, which is cool, but it is perhaps not the kind of music I typically listen to. A thing that must be said is that this must've been extremely progressive and far ahead of the curve when it came in 2004. I feel that I recognize a lot of elements in this music in some of Lorde's or newer modern music. Also, it feels fresh and sounds great for being from 2004, it might as well have been from this year for all I'm concerned. Perhaps not my favourite album here, but I am very glad I heard it and it widened my view on music!

For me, Bjork is like an acquired taste, and its impressive how she manages to maintain that album to album; I find myself having to reset my expectations and appraise each album on its own merit. I enjoyed this about as much as most 3s but I gotta give it a 4 for the amount of balls it has.

Björk can moan at me all she wants

Severely overlooked album! A lot of people get hung up on the song only ”gimmick”, when the music is as strong as any Björk album. Of course there’s a more experimental edge than on her previous albums, and the sound palette isn’t for everyone. But it is for me! Classic Björk as far as I’m concerned

Sebulba

Our favorite little swan takes to flight and abandons the dancefloor, much to the dismay of all the clubgoers, but alights at last upon a steeple, and in her sudden and unexpected flight she brings along a chorus of voices, inspired by her own natural instrument and ready to experiment with her. Take your time. Breathe. Concentrate. Or not. It doesn't matter. The song actually sings itself, and you can consciously add to it or let yourself be unconsciously swept along. Why not try both?

This album had so many surprising moments of chaos. Loved it.

This reminds me of Sonic Youth’s experimental albums. Not an album you return to regularly, but when you do it’s brimming full of new musical ideas

The first half was awesome! Love the a capella. Toward the second half, it started taking a turn for the strange. Nonetheless, I appreciate the experimentation.

She’s amazing.this is full of so many strange emotions.

This is really beautiful. It took me a minute to get into it, but this is a singularly creative, exceptionally well crafted album. Bjork's arrangements are somehow both minimalist and complex at the same time, with layered vocals doing the heavy lifting, augmented with spare use of instrumentation. The result is a sonic landscape that is both ethereal and mildly unsettling. Bjork herself is in perfect voice and her songwriting is surprisingly intimate. Fave Songs: Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right), Desired Constellation, Vökuró, Oceania, Mouth's Cradle

“Medulla”, Bjork’s wild and wonderful fifth album, is a fascinating exploration of sound and song. It’s designed to be played in the early hours of the morning, when the world is at its most unseen, its most mysterious, its most beautiful. So, as luck would have it, I came to first hear this album at five a.m, jet-lagged and wired, with no expectations. And I was blown away. I can totally accept that this will not be to everyone’s taste. Bjork’s music can be difficult to stomach even at its most accessible, and this pushes her sonic experimentation to its outer limits. But the sheer craft of “Medulla” deserves nothing but praise. Almost every sound heard on this record is a vocalisation, either from Bjork or various featured artists. From symphonic choirs to whistling, beatboxing to heavy breathing, throat singing to whatever the hell is going on in “Triumph of a Heart”, everything is stitched together into a Frankenstein-style forty minute tribute to the human voice. Every song is an ice sculpture of sound, meticulously crafted and flawlessly executed. Sometimes the vocals are crystal clear, like in the plaintive a capella of “Show Me Forgiveness” or the Icelandic, medieval-style chant of “Vokuro”. Sometimes they’re warped and distorted, like in the brilliant, unhinged “Where Is The Line” (a Disney song from hell) or the sample running through “Desired Constellation”. I particularly enjoy the combination of “glugging” noises and the choir in “Mouth’s Cradle”, a highlight of the album. But perhaps most startling of all are the singles, two songs that somehow charted and are among the most accessible Bjork tracks I’ve heard. “Who Is It” is transcendent beauty, and “Triumph of a Heart”, against all odds, is a dance track with “mouth trombone” and an exhilarating rhythm accompaniment. On the flip side, “Ancestors” pushes the format to its absolute limit: much as I’d love to be more open-minded, I can only tolerate so much throat-singing. It’s also a bit of a shame to hear piano creeping in to accompany the voices, breaking the aura cast over most of the rest of the album. And elsewhere, the a capella, solo melody tracks have little to distinguish them from each other and end up not adding a great deal of substance to the runtime. This isn’t a perfect album: it may not going into my regular rotation, and there are even other works by Bjork I prefer (“Vespertine”, probably “Homogenic”). But I can honestly say “Medulla” is beyond anything I’ve ever heard: a true work of art.

Jackson Pollock: Cool start, intimate sounds. Second track decent, third abrasive without being rewarding. I'm leaning towards a 3-4. I don't know if I would come back to this unless I proper got into Bjork. Its very unique sounding, but I think I preferred my first listen of another album of hers. The vocals actually remind me a little of one of the BCNR singers. Favs: Pleasure is all mine Who is it Oceania Least Favs: Where is the line Overall:

Aw, here she is. I love her so much. "Desired Constellation" is just what I need. A lot of this holds up beyond proof of concept, almost 20 years later. She could release it next year and nobody would blink.

Completely mad, uncomfortable and beautiful.

A wacky yet charming experimental album, she has something that just makes her craziness endearing.

Not something I'd listen to every day but you can't deny the genius

Björk's album "Medúlla" offers a diverse musical journey that ranges from moments of pure pleasure, funky sounds, and unique originality to perplexing experimentation. "Pleasure is all mine" delights the senses, "Where is the line" grooves with funky beats, and "Oll Birtan" stands out with its captivating acapella. "Who Is It" impresses with its cool sound, while "Ancestors" is a peculiar yet unforgettable experience. "Triumph of the heart" closes the album on a funky note, making "Medúlla" an intriguing and unconventional musical adventure. (Written partly by ChatGPT)

interesting sound, generally enjoyed it. Not sure how to process.

really great, love the throat singing and percussion

Brilliant concept that is just a bit too self indulgent. Bjork is one of a kind and makes the entirety of music better through her fearlessness.

I'm not big into Björk, but this is one of my favorite projects from her and "Where Is The Line" has to be my favorite song in her whole discography. Unique little island of an album!

exquisitely crazy. Acoustic beatbox.

Great album, I'm a massive fan of her first four albums and it's good to hear the next one is good also. Accidently heard it on shuffle which probably killed it but rest assured I’llbe back

Love this a lot Shows how you don’t just need to be skilled with instruments to make great music Favourite tracks: Pleasure is All Mine, Vokuro, Who is It, Submarine, Oceania

Very interesting and, in the right mood and circumstances, beautifully haunting and pretty engaging overall. Highly original and frequently quite strange.

Some incredible production but the odd song not for me

This album would absolutely send your head to the moon if you were stoned

Started out really hate-listening to this, but by the end I was glad it was on the list. Finally, something really different that I would never have heard otherwise! I haven't had an album like that in a while. An album focusing only on vocals (and electronics), it wasn't my favourite but I like that someone tried it. Hearing beat boxers and throat singers on the album were both highlights for me. The problem is I don't like Bjork's voice or style. She's a warbler and I am not. Still giving this 4 stars for the worthwhile experience. Where is the Line is where I draw the line though. That song annoyed me a lot haha.

On paper this album shouldn’t be as good as it is, but it comes together so well

Björk is life

Lindisfarne soundsystem represent. Dark techno combined with monastic chanting, complex rhythms and layer upon layer of sound shifting in and out - the music never settles for very long. Definitely more like the soundtrack to a video-art installation than radio music - but that's what she's going for. Between Icelandic lyrics on some songs and Bjork's vocal style there aren't a lot of hooks or memorable melodies to hang on to. Instead, this is about sonic textures, dissonances resolving and harmonies dissolving, poly-vocal stuttering, singing degrading into noise-making...like the voices in your head having it out on a windswept hebridean island. The album is all about the vocals, but there are some fantastic synth parts like the delicate, shimmering and fuzzy marimba-sound pulsing out the rhythm on Desired Consellation. Favorites: Where is the Line with You; Who is it... ; Desired Constellation; Triumph of a Heart

This a perfectly disorienting album. Björk wanted to make an album completely made of human voices and the result (while not completely made of human voices) is a powerful and primal statement. As always Björk's voice is so dynamic that she can move from a growl to a shout to a whisper seamlessly. Her control of tone and timbre is phenomenal making the listener hang on every syllable. Simply put, this is a stunning and arresting album. My only complaint is that it felt a bit tedious on the back half.

I dig Bjørk. And listening to her while driving through the Icelandic countryside added a whole new dimension to her music. While I think Post and Debut are stronger albums, there’s nothing like hearing her sing Ancestors while in the shadows of the mountains that inspired her song.

Iceland's finest exports in order of importance: 1. Aluminum 2. Björk 3. Fish Björk has always been an artist who, on the surface, is very easy to dismiss. Never the most accessible, her music requires the listener to be active. But if you do that, it's beyond rewarding. This album contains some of the most complex, insane, but rewarding vocals I've ever heard. If you have the luxury, please listen to this album with a good pair of headphones and block out everything else from your daily routine. I promise it'll be like a religious experience. Or maybe you’ll go insane (looking at you, Ancestors).

Björk’s beautiful, bewildering response to the age-old question: “What that mouth do?”

Ethereal.

Wtf?

Bjork is one of a few artists that I consider a true musical genius. This is a bit of a challenging listen, and sometimes I get irritated with albums that I would consider "challenging", but in this case I really enjoyed it and have already re-listened once. I've always loved Bjork's voice, so having an album that is mostly her voice is really nice. But what makes it great is the blend of voices and sounds. It's layered and complex, and ultimately incredibly beautiful and unique. 4 stars.

This was interesting. Never listened to any Björk beyond the odd hit I might have come across on the radio, but I enjoyed the oddness of this and it's mix of music. I wouldn't say it's made me a huge fan, but it's clearly interesting and an obvious sort of thing for inclusion on this list - some of the 1 star reviews are laughable and sound like frat boy/Wayne's World style reactions. It's way better than that. Would I listen to it again? Maybe. But it's still at least 4 stars,

I've gotten into Björk because of this list and love the other two albums. This was an adventure. I totally understand why people hate this album. It's weird but very unique and it just works for me. I normally hate avant-garde yet Björk just makes it listenable to me. Not that I would put this on all that often but it's weird in a way that I like.

wild album, mostly voice-based but sounds like electronica. 4 stars. weird.

I love Desired Connections and the two singles, "Who Is It" and "Triumph of a Heart". Amazing album cant imagine the production of this mostly accapella masterpiece.

2004. Not in my edition of the book! 4 stars Icelandic Kate Bush, all the weirdness without the tunes. Oddly appealing to listen to, and she has got a good voice. Not for everyone, but well worth a listen.

Bjork's a trip, man. Can't say I'd listen to this on the regular, but it's hard not to respect her steadfast refusal to adhere to the norms of the recording industry. Bjork's gonna Bjork, and I dig it.

The vocals on this album are incredible. I don't know what kind of training it takes to sing like this, but it's gotta take a lot of work for both Björk & her backup vocalists. Ethereal, surreal, soothing, and beautifully foreign. A nice rounded 4.

I love Bjork, but it has to be the right day to listen to her experimental bent towards music. Luckily today was the right day. I don't think I've ever heard his album, but one thing stuck out immediately. While listening to "Ancestors" I heard the familiar (yes, familiar) sounds of Inuit throat singing. And I had a hunch that this song was a collaboration between Bjork and Inuit recording artist Tanya Tagaq. And it was. It was a nice surprise to hear two artists I appreciate getting together to make some music.

Wasn't looking forward to this - I always felt this album was the beginning of inaccessible and unenjoyable bjork. But actually, despite it's experimentation, it still sets wonderful scenes that get me through my office day. Also, Rahzel is great. Once saw a gig of his where he brought along roses and gave one to each woman in the audience. Really casts a wide net.

Focus more on mantras than verses or conventional song structures with the vocal beats switching up in the background to keep it interesting. This is bold and avant-garde, the beat-boxed beats are enjoyable in the way human voices are, emotionally evocative in how they strain, soar, rasp, bark etc. I enjoyed this album more when I first heard it years ago, the problem being that while I enjoy this when it’s on the songs don’t stick in my mind and beckon me back when it’s over. But to reiterate I do enjoy the shit out of this when it’s on and I respect it just as much as ever.

Todella kaunis levy! 4/5

Björkin kokeellisimpia levyjä, mutta silti mielettömän kaunista. Ihmeellistä, miten voi samaa aikaa testailla äänimaailmojen rajoja ja välittää uskottavia tunteita näin suvereenisti.

Ehkä alan vähitellen lämmetä Björkillekin. Voimakkaiden tunteiden paikasta tämä(kin) tulee ja sitä on pakko arvostaa. 4/5

She is an absolutely fascinating and original artist in so many ways. This album reflects that. Wow. Such interesting use of melody and harmony, amazing compositions, and stellar performances.

Many will say that this is where Björks music started to collapse under the weight of her concepts/character and I can see why, but I think this one still has a lot to offer, both musically and emotionally. The album was made to explore the possibilities of the human voice and as such, I think it succeeds to demonstrate how strong, fragile and diverse our voice can get. It's also less catchy than anything she'd done before, but I think this one is supposed to talk to the heart instead of the feet.

I really enjoyed this Bjork album and especially the appearances of two artists that I like a lot, Tanya Tagaq and Robert Wyatt. 2 unique voices to join Bjork's string of eccentricities, it's perfect.

I really need to listen to some more trip-hop, it is aesthetically pleasing to my ears

I kind Bjork, but too many of the songs sounds the same

I thought 'Oh no not another Bjork album' but I like this. I've always thought I should like her- all the ingredients are there but never clicked. I like the capella slant though. Very well produced and executed.

Weird Bjork always a fan, go Iceland!

captivating, addictive although I still dislike Bjork's singing manners

Love Bjork but somehow had never heard this. Flashes of Low and Hounds of Love. Sweet.

I just told someone "If there is such a thing as a 'mostly the singles' fan or Bjork I am it" but this was interesting and clubby in a way that was accessible for me

This made me feel like I was a cool witch when I am a little nerd playing animal crossing on a Thursday.

A very ambitious and fascinating album that many artists wouldn't be able to pull off, let alone make the end result sound so unsettling in some places and beautiful in others

This is doing such cool harmonic things

Le concept est original, l'album est court, la voix est superbe, tout l'inverse des Smashing Pumpkins.

4.0 - I fell off the Björk fan-wagon with "Vespertine", just feeling burnt out on the weight of that album and her cringe-y "Dancer in the Dark" project. This album reminded me of what I love about her as an artist: the cocksure experimentation, the strange mysticism and the haunting melodies. Despite all the weirdness, the record feels light and human. Maybe it's the a cappella aspect, which is both boundary-pushing without being gimmicky.

Like stepping through a contemporary art exhibit. Her sound is more polished and atmospheric. Bjork takes on a more experimental approach here. Unlike her previous albums, not every song is intended to be pop-structured. Instead, we have these heavy glitch pop hits interlaced with simple a capella. It's insane when the channels are isolated and you realize it's nearly entirely a capella, even the heavy noises are beatboxing. This is meant for focused listening. The tracks are ethereal and frankly somewhat surreal that it will be found boring and distracting to listen in other means. It feels like a guide to a capella with how astonishing the producer can make a capella so recognizable yet versatile in utility. Some songs feel like a precursor to chillwave. Many of the simpler songs remind me of a late medieval choir. In terms of complaints, there's not much relistening to with so many experimental tracks. It helps that they're shorter, but you have songs like "Ancestors" which would help being half its length, but I could see how that could lose artistic effect. The album picks up and peaks in the middle, losing its momentum after "Oceania." The simple tracks don't engage me like the earlier ones. "Mouths Cradle" doesn't evolve much and ends anticlimatically, but its grand sound reminds me of the Norfair theme in Metroid. "Triumph of a Heart" is a lighthearted humorous finish. Please watch the music videos to this album.

Would I play this at a party? No. (That's a lie, but most people probably wouldn't.) This is not decorative. But it's interesting. Beatboxing and throat singing in the same work? Wow. Experimentations with the human voice as instrument. I don't know how to rate this. Some of it was intriguing. Some of it made me laugh out loud. Some was really challenging to keep listening to. Sometimes, listening on my headphones made me feel like I was possessed and had voices in my head. Björk didn't just stick to what worked before, did she? So, I'm going to celebrate her artistic audacity here.

intense and weird like all bijork almost religiously pretty. 4. maybe a 3 if im having a shit day tomorrow.

Rarita como diario

fully textured, but quite hard work for an easy listen

My least favorite Bjork album but still a stunning achievement

Это что-то с чем-то.

Beautiful, mesmerising album. There's always something new to discover in it.

Queen

I genuinely enjoy how much of a weirdo Björk is, and I really enjoy some of her output - but it tends to be a few songs spread out over a few albums rather than a full length record. That doesn't disqualify this album from inclusion in this list, and as a musical/cultural figure Björk and several of her more experimental albums definitely deserve inclusion.

Mystical, ethereal, animal, strange.

Very cool stuff. Maybe a bit too cool? But the singing is beautiful. I mostly listen at work, and that is pretty hard here. Ultimately a 3. This needs active listening in a way I am not always looking for with music.

Not really for me but I appreciate what the albums trying to do. Thinking about Bjork in a witchy context gives perspective to her style I think, and she makes sense as the Scandinavian version of Stevie Nicks or Florence and the Machine

I love Björk but I have to go with my gut here. Brilliantly challenging and the diversity of sounds is a wonderful showcase of the human voice as instrument, but there is too little payoff in the music here, with only a few tracks (‘who is it’, ‘submarine’ and ‘triumph of a heart’) that I think I could reasonably listen to again outside of the context of the album - likely because these are the closer to a more traditional song structure. One of those albums that is an important experience even if it is not loved - there aren’t many artists that would feature throat singing, beatboxing, and baroque choir on the same track let alone album.

It was more subdued than I expected . I liked it but I'm unlikely to add it to my repeat play list.

A bit too much in spots but has some really salient music even 22 years on. Bjork is ahead of a time. It's just not always clear what time that is.

I have never quite gotten there with Bjork. Fully admire her as an artist. An individualist who has created a unique body of work that borders on avant garde. Musically I have never found her music appealing. I understand Bjork does not make music for enjoyment as she explores some form of her, and our psyches. I just cannot connect with her wavelength. Framing this lack of connection as an “I” problem rather than blaming her. Medulla places the voice front and center. Rarely did she imitate familiar vocal arrangements. I did not hear straight gospel, nor Gregorian nor boys’ choirs. I struggle to put my finger on exactly what Bjork develops. The songs mostly move at a glacial pace. Unlike ambient music, which can lull the listener into a pleasing trance, the songs here express pain and disjointedness to my ears. Bjork seized my attention despite the minimalism present, however I did not find myself carried away in any capacity. I could see it happening someday.

interresting but challenging

I can see the beauty in her work, but can also see how her music can be polarizing.

I'll give Björk this: she managed to make a 45-minute album (almost) entirely a capella without resorting to anything conventional. You won't find any easy barbershop harmonies or seamlessly blended voices here. In fact, every one of the many, MANY voices on this album seem to deliberately clash against each other to make them stand out in the spacious, at times miry mix. On this album, Björk enlists throat singer Tanya Tagaq, experimentalists Mike Patton and Robert Wyatt, and a litany of choirs and beatboxers to create an oddly cold and unfeeling atmosphere. Sort of ironic as about 95% of this album is created with the voice, the most human of all instruments. The mix is also kind of dry in sections where Björk herself sounds way too upfront on some of these songs, which make the whole thing feel oddly incomplete despite how obviously prepared and painstakingly arranged this whole album was. This will probably go down as the most divisive album in her very varied catalogue. Björk would only keep veering into strange single-instrument experiments like this one, which quietly signalled that she had exited the masterpiece period that produced the 3 albums that preceded this. Key Tracks: Where Is the Line, Who Is It, Oceania

Good record, creative, nothing wrong with it, but I don’t see myself reaching for it in the future

not my fav album by her but still. it's bjork

When Björk released her fifth studio album, "Medúlla", I just felt I was no longer connecting with her music. I was a massive fan of her first two albums, "Debut" and "Post". I really liked the way she mixed avant-garde and pop music. I didn't find her third album, "Homogenic", as impressive. With the soundtrack "Selmasongs", she returned once more to her blend of avant-garde and pop music. The fourth album, "Vespertine", with its cold, electronic sound, just didn't do it for me. The compositions became more and more inaccessible. This idea is made even stronger on "Medúlla". The album's a departure from the cold electronic sound of the last one, and it's all about the vocals. With some tracks, it feels like the experiments with layered vocals have messed up the composition. I've got nothing against contemporary classical music, which is often more about sound than melody, but in the end, Björk's vocal talent just sounds like monotonous white noise to me. Around half the songs feel like they're just intros or outros, and you're left waiting for the actual song to begin. Even the big-name guests, like Robert Wyatt, Mike Patton and Tanya Tagaq, an Inuit throat singer, can't help. It's all very artful, but it's a bit too l'art pour l'art for my taste, an impression that would only get stronger on later albums. Some tracks really convinced my today revisiting the album after 20 years, but some just didn't. Still, it's the last Björk album I bought and kept. I think Björk is a really courageous artist with her own ideas and innovative concepts, but I just can't follow her anymore. Even I sometimes find music a bit too cerebral.

Bjork is one of my favorite artists. I almost feel that she can do no wrong when it comes to music. This record though, is perhaps my least favorite of hers. It is still very beautiful but I still can't sit to listen to the whole record as I can with other records of hers.

Not quite Vespertine.

I’ve been enjoying Bjork when she’s appeared but this felt like it stumbled too much into impenetrable art project. Interesting though.

Interesting and weird album Standout songs: Where is the line Who it is Mouths Cradle

I quite like "where is the line"

bjork at her weirdest

Bjork definitely has her own genre of music. I appreciate it, but isn't always my thing. Highlights: "Who Is It?" and "Oceania"

I didn’t really enjoy this much, it was interesting and weird, but a little too weird for me. The concept is cool, with most of the songs being made up of different vocal sounds, but it would have been better with more standard instrumentation in my opinion. I’ll give it a low 3, 2 for enjoyment plus 1 for at least being interesting.

It was... interesting

Gloriously different and at some times distinctly odd. Birk is something special.

Bjork embracing an avant-garde approach to her later albums. I'm not sure anything will ever be as strong as Debut and I'm not sure I can get behind how experimental some of these songs go, but alas, I still enjoy her music.

One of her most accessible albums, although still plenty of quirks and Björkisms to be found

A very Björk album. So creative, but there is only so much a capello.

Idk, I just can't get into Björk. I don't know what it is about her music that just doesn't hit for me

This was a tough cookie of an album. It has an interesting concept that there is really no instruments, but instead there are voices a cappella that are added together in a way to make up for the lack of instrumentation. So for example on "Where Is the Line" it has aggressive beatboxing in place where an electronic kick drum would've hypothetically (if this album was more electronic) been. The choral sections are beautiful. I believe this was really well done. But I kind of wish I heard this after listening to her other albums before this (only familiar with Post and Debut,) I just feel it would've made me appreciate this album. Highlight Song/s: "Pleasure Is All Mine" and "Who Is It(...)"

Weird but interesting

Moving and weird. I'm a fan. 3.75 rounded down to a 3.

Maneiro e criativo, mas provavelmente não ouvir de novo any time soon. Simpatizo bastante com a Björk mesmo não sendo o tipo de música que eu gosto de ouvir regularmente.

No reasonable person would classify the content of this album as "songs". But it was an experience and I might have enjoyed some of it.....

Highlight: Show Me Forgiveness. In a nutshell: “where is the line with you?” For Björk, no album concept is impossible. There is no line with her. It’s amazing that almost all of the album is vocal. Layers of atmospheric harmonies and beatboxing. Barely an instrument to be heard! As with all Björk albums, try to be patient. This is experimental art. A hard left turn from previous releases on the list. Overall: 5/10

1001 albums, nothin' but Bjork. The third or perhaps fourth from the one-named Icelandic freakazoid, and this time, she's Bjork 2 Basics. Actually that's not true at all, but I wanted to say that. She's as weird as ever, and she has added a great deal of electronica to her winning formula. Bjork is not a casual listen. My evil music listening app of choice tends to play songs you enjoyed once, until you hate them, and much like the author of this list, it LOVES Bjork. A random Bjork song in the middle of tracks from The Mountain Goats and Suffocation doesn't tend to "hit" the way it does in the context of the full album, so I'm hoping I can enjoy her off-beat caterwauling. I am not in the mood for this today, and I don't think it's anywhere near Vespertine but... hold on it's still way better than most of this shit, by way of sheer eccentric brute force. Also the fly-boy beatboxing had me chuckling repeatedly. Some people are "weird" as in they don't like sports and have read a book, and some people are weird like beat boxing and tantric moaning through an electronica soundscape while wearing the ancient runes of your people and your mask is made of hair. Bjork you friggin nut, you did it again. See you crazy kids on the next B-Jork day. I'm sure there are yet more to come. Praise be to the 1001. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: This review brought to you by Mike Rowe Plastics. Do you need some uhh fuckin' plastic?? Called lil Mikey Rowe and he'll set you straight, or he'll slowly diminish your thinking ability until you are a malleable husk who cannot remember what the full use of your faculties felt like and you won't be able to explain it to anybody because of your reduced faculties, but you'll know it isn't quite the same. Mike Rowe Plastics, call us now, you big piece of shit.

Somehow didn’t mind that. 2.5 rounded up because at one point she sounded like the woman who falls over after stomping on the grapes.

Laryngeal

If there was anyone I'd expect to make an experimental acapella album it would most definitely be Björk. Such a weird experience but I enjoyed it! Seriously impressive how close some of the vocals were to imitating synths or drums. Favourite tracks: Where Is The Line, Who Is It, Triumph Of A Heart 3.5/5

I wish I liked this more as it is at times gorgeous. But there is too much searching for those beautiful moments to make it a round experience

Very challenging listen on the first go round but there's interesting nuggets in each song.

Funky, cool

First Morrissey returned to the 1001 Albums list—and now Björk follows. She hasn’t been gone long, but I had started to wonder if her window to make an impact had passed. Her 2004 album Medúlla proved otherwise. My favourite track might be “Desired Constellation”—it’s so quiet and deeply melancholic. I also enjoyed “Show Me Forgiveness,” “Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right),” “Where Is the Line,” and “Triumph of a Heart.” That said, this is probably my least favourite Björk album overall. It didn’t quite connect with me. I tend to prefer her electronic work paired with her vocals, rather than the largely a cappella approach she takes here. While I can appreciate the creativity and ambition behind it, it’s not something I see myself revisiting often. 6.5/10.

3 - good

There’s some fantastic tracks, but also some that I hate. So, my score is an average.

Interesting. Not exactly my thing.

Im a big Björk fan tbh, as big as a normy cn be anyway. But id say this is on the 'low end ' of her good material or 'high end' of her unlistenable material. Shes a true musical genius and a free spirit. I'll grant her the leeway to produce this type of art as she sees fit.

I don't think I would ever listen to this again, but it was really interesting to hear.

Certainly, an interesting album. Super unique. Absolute artistry. Is it for me? I'm not entirely sure, but it's kinda cool.

My Medullary functions are intrigued. Weird tracks with weird sound effects and interesting lyrics (Björk's vocal ranges are pretty good) 3/6

It's very Björk. I kind of liked Who Is It and Triumph of a Heart.

I just don't love Bjork's music unfortunately. I've tried listening through this a few times and it just doesn't do anything for me. Some of her other albums I have listened to a bit and did enjoy, but none of them were favorites. I'm surprised Homogenic or Post aren't on this list. I thought they were way more popular, but reading through the reviews, it sounds like they're considered her more pop albums, so maybe the list is bucking against trends?

Not my taste

I prefer music with more going on instrumentally, but there were some beautiful moments on this.

I can't say I enjoyed this, but I deeply appreciate how honest it sounds and feels. This is an experience.

Interesting listen, not an everyday one though

Björk is one of my favorite singers of all time, so far. She's making what I've been searching for years. I genuinely think that she's the GOAT, so I'm happy to see her album here (it'd be weird to not see her there tho, nvm). I really adore how Björk comes up with new ideas in her new works, so Medúlla is another experimental album of hers in which she's using a capella vocals as instrumental which is really impressive. So mu fav songs are: Pleasure Is All Mine, Who Is It (...), and Oceania

Альбом, як і вся сузика Бйорк, має доволі нетипове звучання, це ,мабуть таки, плюс. Але я не можу сказати, що мені сподобалось. Oceania - найкраща пісня з альбому, на мою думку. 2,5

It's not exactly bursting at the seams with toe-tapping hits, but I like that about Bjork - I like that she's so willing and eager to experiment. It would have been so easy for her to continue in that 90s pop hits vein - I'm sure she could have made variations of Debut over and over again, but she didn't. She's an artist before she's a pop star and I love that. I also love that there's no one standing over me, forcing me to listen and I can just press stop halfway through. Which is what I did.

As odd as I find Bjorks music, I always end up grooving along.

I'd really like to like it but it seems I'll have to settle on respecting Björk

The most advanced acapella record I have heard. She should have gotten MC Rahzel from SSX Tricky to be a guest vocalist. Some of it was pretty cool if not unsettling!

There were a few really pretty tracks on this album but overall it doesn't hold a candle to the other Bjork albums I've heard unfortunately.

I don't really love it but she is cool Will I listen to again: 40%

Haven't heard this record ever . It's cool! But not sure I'll listen again.

Cool!

This is an interesting work of art. It took me forever to complete this review because I kept thinking I needed to give it another listen to understand what I was listening to. This is about as big sounding as an a Capella pop album can get. The variety of sounds generated by the human voice and the complexity with which they were combined into the tunes on this record is impressive.

Not my favourite Bjork album by a long way, I would say this is one of her weakest efforts

Not my cup of Bjork, but impressive concept nonetheless

I’ve enjoyed Björk over the years, and the other albums of hers I’ve gotten on this list. Yes this album was a rough listen at times. As someone who can get really annoyed by some sounds, especially when they come at me in a constant repetition, this album by the end had me cringing. I had to skip one song entirely because the repetition was extra annoying and I was about to scream.

From a personal enjoyment this is a 2, I don't imagine ever putting this album for recreative listening. However, I gotta hand another star for the creativity and risk taking. I also appreciate that Bjork has an incredible voice, but I have to say, this being my second album to review, she's drawing from a very limited pool of tricks. Not a problem in itself, but seeing as this is mostly a vocal album, the tricks don't really suffice to keep the endeavor afloat.

Typical bjork madness (see Where is the Line), complex rythyms, harmonies, strong vocals, avant garde electro/sampling/looping. Best track - Where is the Line, Mouths Cradle 3 stars - I can appreciate the complexity and skill but I find it heavy going

Medúlla is an unsettling, otherworldly listen—built on layers of moans, growls, and stark vocal arrangements that don’t always land as powerfully as they seem intended to. Of course, that may come down to personal taste. Björk has always occupied a singular creative space entirely her own, whether or not anyone else feels inclined to join her there. For me, if I’m reaching for one of her records in the future, it’s far more likely to be something like Debut or Post—albums that balance experimentation with accessibility—rather than Medúlla, which wanders a bit too far from the beaten path for my taste.

Honestly not super my jam. Very impressed by its production and how legible the instrumentation is but could have done with more manipulation a la "Desired Constellation" or "Mouths Cradle" -- the acapella timbre just kept me at a distance.

Oh yeah, her human voice record. A cool, ambitious idea realized with creativity and commitment. It’s not the most gripping record I’ve heard of hers and I don’t think I’ll revisit in full, but it is certainly interesting and unlike anything else I’ve listened to.

Not really music. I like Björk and everything, but this was disappointing.

Weird and funky as I would expect from her.

A beautiful concept and some lush sounds, but far from an easy listen.

I listen to this album about once every 10 years or so. It's not bad; I like the different layers of vocals that show up occasionally and get used in cool textured ways. But overall it's kind of a vanilla Bjork record and only occasionally gets into the weird harmonic and rhythmic stuff that I love her for. 3/5

This was the album where Bjork lost me back in the day. I haven't re-listened to it in forever, but I think I've warmed to it quite a bit. The beatboxing and such was off-putting 20 years ago, but now I like it just fine. If anything, it's the more solitary experiments that I find myself questioning. They're beautiful but also feel unfinished. I wish there was a backbeat or something. She stuck to the concept too closely, imo. Still, this was like a 2/5 when I first listened to it, and now it's quite a bit more. 3.25/5

Appreciate the artistry

Super weird! Zumindest bleibt Björk damit sich selbst treu und einzigartig. Einen Extrapunkt für den Katzensong am Schluss

Enjoyed it

I really enjoy Bjerknes as she pushes boundaries musically and vocally , saw live at all point# East and was disappointed , rubbish sound set up but she did cornucopia in its entirety and not a live performance, this alum is average at best

I like the experimentation on here, even if this is not my prefered style. 3.5 stars

I tried to come back to this a few times to try and get into the right headspace for it. There are moments I think it's brilliant and moments I still don't get it. As a technical achievement, pretty amazing - as something I'd want to sit down and listen to a lot, not so sure.

I love Bjork but this album doesn't really stick out to me in her discography

Either you like Bjork or you don't. Throwing more of her work at us isn't going to change anyone's mind. That said, I doubt that even the most devout of her followers would call this an essential piece.

I’m glad that this exists but it’s a difficult listen for the most part. It’s an amazing technical achievement and definitely defies all expectation of what an album comprised of only voices can be. This is not a cappella music as you think of it. But ultimately I found it at times unpleasant and unsatisfying.

Very interesting, somewhat inconsistent but a decent listen

Quite a unique music style. I don't quite hate it, but it takes some getting used to

Interesting as always, but I just don’t listen to it that much.

bjork je kao evil caroline polachek lowkey. veoma veoma zanimljiv album, znala sam da bjork ima ludu muziku ali nisam nikad slusala pa sam bila veoma uzbudjena da cujem sta se tu desava. i svasta se desava zaista: malo edm momenata, malo bitboksa iz nekog razloga, malo horskih momenata, puno harmonija, puno neobicnih vokala i melodija (da ne kazem skicanja, ali necu to reci) i puno puno ponavljanja iste dve recenice u jednoj pesmi, sto postujem jer uvek nadje neki zanimljiv nacin da to uradi, na primer kad ubaci trap beat u sred pesme ili manastirski hor u pozadini. e da, ima bas dosta akapela momenata, sa nekim pesmama koje su skroz akapela, ne znam koliko je to tipicno za bjork. svidja mi se sto ima i pesme na islandskom! ne znam koliko mi se bas dopada ton njenog glasa, ali ima mocne vokale to se ne moze poreci.

This was different. I have listened a lot to «early» Björk. But never this. Positive sides: Really cool production and many different elements in the songs - it’s a bit like ASMR at times. I like several of the sceneries in many of the songs. The A’capella works well in many of the songs. Negative: Sometimes it can be just too much. And sometimes it would be nice with an instrument or two.

good listen

Rating: 7/10 Love the experimentation here, some songs are really great but this album is not cohesive at all.

Noises

Lofi, largely acapella Elf Jams.

This is my second Bjork album this month, and honestly, I was dreading it going in. I didn't think I'd be in the mood for this today. However, I ended up enjoying it more than the last one. I still wouldn't call myself a Bjork "fan", per say. Her music still gets a little too experimental for my tastes. But there was still a handful of tracks I kinda enjoyed. 3.5/5.

What a beautiful voice and also some other wild stuff happening. Loved mouth’s cradle and also generally the way she really makes you Hear That Mic.

I love Björk for all the weird and wonderful things that she is and for inspiring one of the greatest ever Snatch Game performances. This album isn’t something I’d ever reach for but I appreciate how it pushes my understanding of what music can be.

Björk is someone who I would say I love without necessarily knowing a huge amount of her music, and so this was an interesting album to listen to, especially because it was quite sonically different to the songs of hers that I knew. The vocal textures were overall a little harsh and not always that pleasant, but I was definitely technically impressed by what she did. Triumph of a Heart also has such an iconic video which definitely elevates the song for me. I assume we have several more Björk albums to go on this list because I feel like I can think of at least 4 that seem more famous than this one

This is my first time sitting down to listen to a Bjork album start-to-finish. I didn't hate this, but it's also not quite at the level of being enjoyable. I do, however, respect this album. It's very much Bjork doing Bjork things.