Vespertine

As always very creative and well put together. However, although this genre is right up my alley, for some reason Björk never reall hits it right for me.

Shimmery and delicate yet evokes a don’t fuck with me feeling that leaves the listener on their back foot. I hated Björk when this album first came out but now I’m like … huh. Respect. I guess I’ve grown up.

It's surprisingly difficult to describe this album in a traditional sense. I can only really talk about it by describing what it feels like. Vespertine sounds like devotional songs for a religion that doesn't exist. It sounds like standing in the middle of a meteor shower. It feels like being beckoned into a dark forest on a warm night. It feels like discovering a secret, hidden part of a city where magic is real. It's an absolutely gorgeous, enthralling experience, and nothing else sounds quite like it.

Bjork bjorking.

Tiene algo bastante atrapante

A whole album is a bit too much of a good thing. Two stars…

Great album, really consistent throughout.

Chill bjork, a bit better than manassas, I like the style of this early versions of bjork tbh

Uma música angustiante, pesarosa. Me causa mal estar, não só a maneira como ela canta, mas toda a construção melódica.

I like her voice and some of the arrangements but it’s not for me

I didn’t like it at first, but the further into the album I got the more I started to enjoy it. It’s a well-put-together record that flows well from song to song. Still I was pretty done with it by the end. Maybe just a tad too long or maybe just the right length?

one of the most beautiful albums i've ever heard. i found it during January of this year during a particularly sunny but frosty spell of winter which this now forever reminds me of. it's like she's perfectly captured that atmosphere in an album. so angelic and ethereal, truly one of a kind.

Dit was een welkome verrassing! Ik heb enorm genoten van de muziek, tekstueel weet ik niet eens wat er gezongen werd. Het is het soort muziek wat in mijn brein ervoor zorgt dat ik op kan gaan in de beats, alsof ik andere hersengolven krijg. Het zorgt voor concentratie en voor ontspanning.

Ik kreeg helemaal flashbacks naar die harpmevrouw. Alleen was dit wel veel beter. De muziek was erg goed alleen ik kon mij toch niet helemaal over de manier van zingen heen zetten. Het is net een beetje alsof je spinvis luistert en dan komt die vlaamse mevrouw opeens met een nummer. Ik had Björk altijd wel eens willen luisteren, ik ben ook blij dat ik het heb gedaan. Ik denk niet dat ik het verder aan ga zetten. Ik weet dat het een betere beoordeling moet hebben dan de mijne, maar dit is wat het voor mij is. Op sommige momenten vond ik het 5 sterren en op andere momenten schuurde het voor mij te veel en vind ik het 1 ster. Dan kom je uit op 3 sterren.

Wanneer ik naar de meerstemmige zanglijntjes van Björk luister, beeld ik me in hoe fijn het zou zijn als we haar zouden kunnen klonen. Gewoon een Björkje voor iedereen die het nodig heeft. Björk is de ultieme manic pixie dream girl, al doe ik haar daarmee ook weer een beetje tekort. Ze heeft namelijk ook iets avant-gardistisch met een soort buitenaardse vibe. Wat ik erg leuk vind aan dit album zijn de verfijnde structuurtjes die heel smaakvol en subtiel in de productie verstopt zitten. Ik verheug me op haar andere albums die gelukkig ook op de lijst staan. Leuk om te ontdekken hoe ze zichzelf meerdere keren opnieuw heeft uitgevonden.

🦢🦢

Album #224: Björk – Vespertine ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sex, sex, sex is on the brain for Björk here. Fair play to her. It seems that the turn of the century was the peak of frosty, glacial electronica and IDM, especially when interpreted by alternative artists like Radiohead with Kid A and Amnesiac, and Björk with Homogenic and this. I’ve looked up the list and see that Homogenic actually isn’t on it, which I think is a crying shame. This is nearly as good, but not quite at that level. Anyway, it’s a pretty stellar album. When it’s at its best, it’s Björk at her best, and Björk at her best is absolutely stunning. Quite literally breathtaking music at times. She has to be one of the greatest singers who’s ever lived. I can understand why people don’t like the sound of her voice, that somewhat reedy, childlike tone, but the way she’s able to use a vocal melody is beautiful, probably beyond comparison to any other singer. She’s in total command of her music when she’s singing, and she’s able to carry so many different moods that make the music open to all kinds of interpretation. Take Cocoon, for example. She’s singing so close to the mic in such a childlike tone that it’s part creepy, part sexy, part sensual, part tender. It makes you feel all kinds of different things, sometimes even uncomfortable. But I think that’s the sign of an amazing singer. Someone who can push you outside your own boundaries of thought and your comfort zone just by listening to them. And she’s able to do that. As for the songs themselves, the music is beautiful. The production is sensational. One of the best sounding albums you’re likely to hear. But, maybe I’m too simple-minded for some of it. I follow the big beat manifesto. Any song that doesn’t have beats, I find is missing beats, basically. Another interesting thing is that I much prefer the beginnings of a lot of these songs to their endings. She’s an incredible artist when it comes to intros, not just on this album, but across her music. On this one in particular, a lot of the songs develop into this kind of choir singing style. It’s all very impressive, and I think it’s mostly her own voice layered up, but it just doesn’t move me in the way I think it’s intended to. Take Undo, the perfect example. The start of that song is amazing. That slow intro builds so gradually, and then this lone synth note comes in and cuts through everything. Oh my God, it sends a chill up my spine every time I hear it. But towards the end, the beats strip away and this huge choir comes in. I get what she’s doing with it, but it just doesn’t move me in the same way. I used to listen to this album a lot when I was younger, but there were three songs I took from it that I’ve continued listening to ever since, even though I haven’t returned to the full album in years. And coming back to it now, I still think those are the three best songs: Undo, Pagan Poetry and Heirloom. All with those big beats. Everything else is really good too, but those are the standouts. Still, a very welcome revisit. She’s an amazing artist, and I’m looking forward to hearing more music from her.

Hard to focus through the whole of the album. Perhaps my attention span is terrible these days. It seems to demand a more critical listening session, without distraction. I enjoyed the music but found the vocals to be a bit fatiguing and too ethereal for my taste.

Rate: 100/10. Björk reina.

I really don’t enjoy Bjork for the most part. I know she is very popular and maybe if I listened more closely to the lyrics this might be better but it’s just boring to me.

Lo último antes de perderla…y aunque suena monótono hay momentos de gloria

Just too annoying for me. 1 star or F.

Experimental

Don't like abstract or experimental electronica

Like listening to a fairy tale.

the instruments sound magical, like music that would reel people in the forest. the vocals are very open and almost primitive i liked this album

Weird and cool.

just can't bring myself to like björk

Really beautiful/ethereal/bizarre and even eerie sometimes. Definitely a one of a kind artist.

Какой-то вымученный голос

2001 - 4th studio album - art pop / glitch pop / electronica / folktronica / ambient - opened to positive acclaim; "thin-sounding instruments = harp, celesta, clavichord, strings, custom music boxes. 'microbeats' from shuffling cards and ice being cracked." "stark melodies, minimalist production. suggesting magic through more powerful sources." "panoramic textures in the background." Singles Cocoon, Pagan Poetry, Hidden Place. After this I went and listened to Homogenic (3rd) and Post (2nd), and honestly I liked Post the most. Probably biased because of my 25-year love affair with Hyperballad. But it did feel more coalesced, more directed. Ambient floaty music isn't usually my style. Though - I love Sigur Ros. Maybe I need to come back to her work with those glasses on. I liked Vespertine more than Homogenic; the soundscape is really something to get lost in, and her vocal isn't as confrontational as it can be on other albums. The cover is SO stunning. Glad I did them all together.

Didn't connect with me as much as I hoped. I like the song Unison.

I'm starting to realize I love Bjork's weird shit.

Во всем виновата сука бьорк

This was pretty good, but not as good as I'd hoped. I like Bjork's musical sensibilities, and the moods and feels she cultivates are pretty awesome. That said, the music was a bit sparse for me in some places, although rich in tone and crisp, clean sound that I really like. I listened to it twice and enjoyed it, but I've heard better from her. Four stars.

I don't like her voice sadly

This album sounds so majestic and magical. The orchestration makes it all so grand, and the electronic elements and embellishments are quite nice. Björk’s voice just ties the whole thing together. It’s a very sweet sounding record. Björk’s known for her eccentricities and this album’s definitely far from normal, but it’s a lot more accessible and easy to listen to because it’s just so great. It’s definitely my favorite album that I’ve listened to her so far. Fantastic listen.

This is #day783 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... just less than a week ago I got Medúlla, which was quite a challenging listen. On to Vespertine, right? "Pagan Poetry" is a title I remember from my teenage years, an entry in a local teen zine. The rest of the record I've never heard until today. What's fun is I'm listening to it on my cassette deck with an amp and speakers. Can't get more analog than this, given that the tape is sealed and has been waiting for its moment since 2001, an official Ukrainian edition from that year. It's fair to say this album, along with Post and Homogenic, is Björk's golden trilogy. What a closure to the trilogy this one is! Beautiful and intricate. And then, the time I picked for listening to the album (evening) is perfect because it turns out that vespertine denotes something relating to or occurring in the evening or at dusk. The record is indeed like a delicate evening flower, unfurling. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day784.

The only album of her imperial run that I have just never completely vibed to. It’s also the record where notions of collaboration and authorship seem more and more in dispute, which I find irritating - at the time (and again later), she was flexing her cred with avant garde, cutting edge music fans bringing Matmos into her orbit, but years on makes it out like they were mere engineers placing mics. No one discounts Björk’s talent for creation and performance, but why do her coworkers need to catch strays to further her largesse as a creator? That aside, while the production flourishes - whoever did what - are maybe the highpoint of the lap-pop/indietronica genre, the melodies have always felt cloying or trite in a way that her earlier work avoided.

Fairly boring. Just carried a monotonous sound throughout and the vocals felt like they were in slow motion.

This is a 5 for me as most things Bjork related are. I'm a little surprised to see this on the 1001 list, though.

Reels ruined me, man

An (even more) mellow side of Björk than what I've encountered before. And more electronical. There were some decent tracks here and there, but I felt like it failed to attract my attention. Björk's vocal can be very meandering and sometimes take the backseat, which increased that feeling. Still, there were some beautiful sections in for example 'It's Not Up to You', 'Aurora', and especially 'Harm of Will' which was my favourite track. In the end it all felt a bit too moody and slow for my taste to raise it to a 4. But I can definitely see how this can fit some people really well. Especially when in a certain mood. Strong 3.

I read my old review for an other Björk album, it said that I don’t get Björk and I feel the same now. Most of this was quite boring to me but a few tracks here and there grabbed my attention. ”Pandora” was probably my favourit track with ”Lorelei” coming close second.

Yah bjork mang

Björkin paras levy

Despite its big reputation amongst most musical nerds, I found this one boring

The bestest of the best albums to be ever released. Favorites: Aurora, It’s Not Up To You, Pagan Poetry, Frosti, Cocoon, Hidden Place

2 1/2

I'm afraid to look at the reviews of this album. On a personal level bjork always exists for me in the happiest of memories. This album in particular when it came out I was living in a very fun enchanted time of my life. As an album I think she was running out of steam as a pop artist. When the songs on this album fell the most mainstream they feel duller and she sounds bored. But the best songs are where she starts to veer into something ethereal. I had this album and listened to it over and over again but I don't think I've ever listened to the last 4 songs since I bought it. I'm giving it a five because fuck the bjork hate, but in her discography I'd give it a 4. There are better sounding albums of her but this is my favorite emotionally.

No es lo mío

amazing groundbreaking production and vocals. loved the instrumentation, those harps are quite nice. second half really did cut it for me though.

Once again Björk astonishes with a unique sound that’s just killer. Like on previous entries it feels like her voice might not work for everything but man she knows what it works for

It’s just not my style. I don’t like it at all. I just don’t like the genre. I don’t like the music. I don’t like it at all it is it’s horrible.

I have never listened to Bjork before. I was pleasantly surprised by the album. Heirloom I found particularly resonating.

Pretty good.

What can I say? Björk is a vibe that I am here for.

I can't believe people like this

Beautiful little electronic details. The vocals feel really close against them. Great sound.

It's more Björk. This is very similar to her other albums on this list. I praised those for being uncompromised art with its own style and voice, and so is this album, but this particular style of uncompromised art has worn very thin for me. I think one or two albums from Björk would have been plenty.

it's like the third best Bjork album so it's a 5 star

Bjork is weird, but her weirdness works. She draws inspiration from many sources and will frequently combine many into a single song. Her style is Avant Garde with a genre range from punk to dance, though even her dance music will throw in many curve balls. This album is light and soft and very Bjork.

Einzigartig, so wie alles, was ich bisher von Björk gehört habe. Sie scheint hier auch eine ganz klare Vision zu haben, wie das Album werden sein soll. Tolle Klänge und Atmosphären. 55min sind jedoch etwas lang, da hier nicht alle dieser einzigartigen Tracks gleichermaßen funktionieren für mich, und dann zieht es sich schon mal hier und da. Unterm Strich trotzdem tolles Album. 3.5/5 - sehr gut

As a fan who liked “Debut,” her debut album, I bought this when it came out, but didn’t like it much. Now I remember why… Sorry, Bjork.

Bien mieux que le premier album d’elle qu’on a eu. Les sonorités me faisaient littéralement flotter (sûrement lié au fait que je suis fatigué) mais en tout cas j’ai vraiment adoré

Vespertine is one of the rare albums where production becomes part of the songwriting. The clicks aren’t decoration. The strings aren’t decoration. The whispers aren’t decoration. The tiny beats aren’t decoration. Everything contributes to the feeling of being inside an intensely private emotional space.

Maybe a mixture of context and the content itself, but this was a home run for me. So ethereal, so vibey, and she has great vocal control. I think this being in another language also played a part for me liking it so much - didn’t have to worry about hearing words, just treated her voice as another instrument.

#98 This album seems to be full of lots of good ideas and sounds that never fully come together. It's simultaneously cohesive and scattered. The sound is chill, dreamy, and ambient, but I find her vocal style to be distracting and unpleasant at times. Top Track: It's Not Up To You 2.5 / 5

This album cover is so prettyyyy I really enjoyed this!! I loved how magical some of the songs sounded with tbh what sounded like wind chimes to me and though she didn’t really raise her voice that much throughout the album, the few times she did gave me chills. I also loved the strings and harps especially the strings on the last song. There were a couple weird elements that I wasn’t sure about like some of the clanking sounds I wasn’t really fond of but that could change with another listen which I will definitely be doing. 4.3/5

I didn’t really get this.

Very chill-core, great experimental chamber pop music. I love that she has pushed some boundaries and I can appreciate this as art. Through the 1001 journey I have come to appreciate more experimental music, and Bjork definitely pushes the boundaries here. Kudos to her! She has a very interesting throwback voice and it goes well with this music. It has a beauty to it and I picture it like art, I am glad there is a museum for me to go and see it but I won't be putting it up on my walls.

Ethereal layered soundscapes with poignant imagery, very sex themed

Like a Radiohead album but less interesting. Not bad though it felt like a slog to get all the way through.

This album is where I start to disengage from Bjork. I can see the genius, but I want to listen to it less and less with each subsequent album. I want more Post or Homogenic. That probably makes me basic, and I'm ok with that.

sounds great but can't be higher for me because i can't imagine myself coming back to this one, just like i didn't in 2001.

Beautiful, intimate and mysterious. I love the icy sparkle of that celeste.

Неплохой альбом. Может не самый лучший.

Bjork is unique. I didn’t expect to enjoy this one, but I guess I was just feeling Bjorky.

No private session used for Spotify. I like Bjork, but I haven't listened to this album. It's mellow, melodic, with a lot going on.

Boring

i always love what they have to share

Awful. That must be high art. In any case, the album really got on my nerves. I couldn't bring myself to listen to it all the way through. 1/5

Wasn't for me

I don’t really enjoy listening to Björk. It seems like music for folks that are for more artistic than myself.

I had to see Bjork live one time at Bonnaroo because they were performing before the headliner so we were trying to get a good spot. I’ve never gone from buzzed to buzz killed quicker. This albums also no good.

I just don’t understand the fascination with Björk. Almost an hour of strange ethereal sounds and lyrics I don’t always understand or can’t comprehend because I’m just not fully invested. I’m sure there’s something influential with her music, I just don’t see it.

Nope. Still still don't like Bjork

I've listened to it a couple of times, and it might be external circumstance, but I can't get my head "into it". Will jeed to revisit this in the future. Listened to the live LP for context and it helps.

It’s kinda more the same here. Good but not great.

I appreciate this in theory. But she ca be soooo hard to listen to. I love her sense of music and creativity, but small doses please

I wanted so much to rate this highly but unfortunately it is really not Bjork's best work.

While this lacked the big hits of Björk's previous albums, it was still an enjoyable listen on a quiet Saturday afternoon. A really intimate, lush production, and with Björk's voice amazing as always, I'm inclined to rate this highly.

Amazing

Weird as hell but atmospheric percussive and memorable.

J'ai l'impression que Björk fait le même album à répétition depuis son début de carrière. Ceci est commun mais dans son cas ça passe moins bien pour moi.

100% ce que jeanjean dit. Je dois dire par contre qu'elle est quasi-imbattable pour ce qui est de l'ambiance sonore. Elle a définitivement une obsession pour les textures sonores riches. Elle a quand même une p'tite voix de marde (en plus de faire le même album sur repeat) ce qui la fait descendre à 4 étoiles.

Un peu comme mes collègues, je commence à comprendre Bjork. Chaque album est différent mais ça se ressemble quand même toujours? J'aime pas sa voix non plus. Meilleur que Medulla, mais j'ai préféré Vulnicura

Ethereal. I especially like the soaring background chorus on Undo, the tinkling on Frosti. Union was an amazing ending.

oh neat... a fourth Bjork album in this list. wtf? At least this one seems a little better. Though I didn't really like Cocoon.

3.5, need to come back and relisten to this one again. Enjoyed it but think it deserves more runtime before I make a decision :)