Vespertine

Art pop. Ni fu ni fa.

not my style

This was OK but began to sound the same. Quite mellow for what I was doing as I listened so an average 3*

I liked this far more than I expected given the freaky deaky nature of Bork. Some awesome groovy tunes but it’s really hard to get past her voice which I figure is probably a dealbreaker for a lot of people.

Wow, finally a Bjork album. I've never knowingly listened to Bjork and considering her reputation, wasn't sure what to expect. It ended up being less experimental than I was expecting. I inadvertently listened to the tracks out of order. They all sounded a little same-same but overall I would say I liked this, and it was nowhere near as avant garde as some of the reviews make it seem. More of a 3.5. I'm looking forward to her other albums on the list now.

It's Bjork

Meh

Enjoyable album. I don't think I've ever listened to an entire Bjork album. Musically I really liked it. Lo-fi beats and almost ambient music makes me wish there was a vocal free version. I would listen to it while working if there was.

That’s another one from my Queen

The haters are weird. This was delightful 3.5

This is a decent little ambient album, but Bjork's voice/inflection bugs me. If I don't focus on it, the album is decent though. Best Songs: It's Not up to You, Pagan Poetry, Unison Worst Songs: Sun in My Mouth

Have to say off the bat that I've never really liked Bjork's vocal style. It's obviously unique and quite enchanting, but only digestible in small portions. I appreciate the weird and unpredictable, I love the high end production, but this still ends up being barely listenable

idk tbh

Some strong songs and overall cool moments, but unfortunately that doesn't cut it for a perfect album. Pretty cool, though!

Björk - immer abwechslungsreich ...nicht immer gut aber viel schönes dabei. Man muss sich reinhören, es zu lassen und es muss zur Stimmung passen. Für Hintergrundgedudel meist zu anstrengend. "Nur" drei Sterne, weil diese "alte" Scheibe mich (noch) nicht anspricht.

Nice.

Decent

Stunning vocal performances that shine brightest when tethered to actual song structure

I think this is my first bjork album since the sugar cubes one and that’s definitely changed how I think of her music because I used to think it was all depressing all the time but now I realize that there’s more to it than that. The production is very Radiohead-esque but the lyrics are more romantic and sexy instead of being about killing yourself or whatever. I still couldn’t fully get into it except for hidden places but this was definitely the most interest album I’ve heard from her.

Ah...Bjork. Unique to a fault, still...it's listenable...just. I'm not sure why I always expect her to sound like Yoko, but she never does. You go girl.

swan swan swan swan swaaAaAaAaAaaanNnNnN SWWWAAAAAAAaaaaaaaannnn Having said/sung/typed that, I’ll repeat what I said for a different Björk album in this project: The world is a better place with Björk in it.

I guess it was cool artistically. I just didn’t enjoy listening to it that much. Liked the last song though which brings it up. 5.5/10

6/10 - There were some songs that were decent but two that I really liked. Unison and Not Up to You. Overall her voice is not the most good sounding to me which is why its close to the middle but those two songs bring it up a bit.

Super interesting album, the last song was quite good. Not something I would listen to on a daily basis though

Some interesting songs. Standout songs: Pagan Poetry Heirloom Unison

my favorite of the bjork albums i’ve had to listen to! unfortunately that’s not a super high bar

Bjork is an incredibly creative songwriter though a lot of what she does goes over my head. Vespertine does have some interesting tracks that scratch both intellectual and primal music itches.

Not my favourite from that time

She’s talented but I really don’t like the music

Really good background music to sew to! Yet nothing memorable for me

Weird, enjoyable album, vintage Björk.

Super weird and I didn't hate it.

Wonderfully ethereal as expected, hoping for more bjork

I remember Bjork from like, the 90s? But this album is 2001, so I'm sure it's going to be all new for me. Oh, I guess the swan dress is from 2001... Maybe I do know something from this album. I like new age stuff, but I think I like a different kind of new age. I should really like this, but there's something that's just a little bit... grating aurally. I think I just don't like her voice.

Sweet voice, borderline celestial. Makes for interesting sound

not my kind of music unfortunately. Probably good to play during a party when you don't really want a lot of emphasis on the music being played

I have a lot of reviews bemoaning formulaic albums so it would be a bit churlish to knock this - a proper avant-garde 21st century album. Maybe would like a bit more song to the song but it's still a lovely listen and self-consciously experimental.

Pretty inoffensive

Definitiv interessante Sounds, gerade auch für 2001. Außergewöhnliche Künstlerin! Aber wie immer bei Björk etwas anstrengend zu hören.

Need to relisten

Good but weird

Was better than expected

Not bad. I give this 3 stars.

cool

Ethereal and amazing but lacking the impact of her earlier albums. Was she being somber or just bored

Un paisaje sonoro único como sabe crear Björk, pero menos memorable que otras creaciones suyas. 3/5.

I don't love this but Bjork is so elemental as a performer I can't turn away. At least a 3 if not a 3.5.

There's more to admire than like here, to my mind. There are fleeting moments of beauty, and you cannot accuse Björk of ever making safe musical decisions. So Vespertine is interesting, dreamlike, peculiar, uncanny even - but any good? Hard to say. Some decisions, like the hiss 'n' pop electronic rhythms, grate. Others, such as the meshing of disparate-sounding instruments, are inspired. It's a shame Björk sings so much, as her voice is one I've never warmed to. Again, like so much of her artistry, it's a challenge. In the right mood I can see me dishing out a high score - yet in the wrong frame of mind, this can harrow.

I think I've finally found a Bjork album that I can tolerate.

It was a new type of music for me. I appreciated its uniqueness

interesting, chill sound. It was fine.

Good atmospheric music

Bjork takes the weird and turns it up to 11.. I was expecting to dislike this album more than I actually did. Ethereal.

Objectively good, but not really my cup of tea

I can tell I’m supposed to *love* this, I’m just not there yet. Still pretty damn good. I’ll come back to this. 3.5/5

Bjork is hit-and-miss with me.

Aw uh oh I think "Debut" might be the only Björk that I like... none of her other albums have really grabbed me, and I've listened to quite a few of them now

Not my vibe.

Not really sure how to rate this one. To me, this is the perfect sad music, but not a daily listen.

I will say it was interesting

Some of it good, some of it skipped

Her voice is addictive, love it.

Thought I would hate it. Turns out I didn't mind it. Not perfect but I dug the trip hop passages that are very reminiscent of Massive Attack. Bjork's voice can be grating and that does hurt. But overall, a decent listen.

When she said "Just lean into the crack, And it will tremble ever so nicely" I felt that.

This confirms it, Tyler hates women singers. But seriously, I actually like Bjork. Some of her stuff is repetitive, unintelligible, and pretty weird but overall it sounds really nice and almost supernatural. Would listen to her again… maybe. 6/10

Cool voice, a little slow

beautiful orchestration. Interesting, intimate songwriting. I can appreciate it but I have no emotional response to it, which I don’t fully understand. Favorite songs: Heirloom, Pagan Poetry, It’s not up to you.

Kooky and ooky, as predicted. Still not a fan but I can happily listen.

neke dobre al ostale iskreno iritantne 2.5

Ni lose ni predobro. Previse artsy/bland. Pagan Poetry i Unison favoriti.

she’s so odd i love it

The whole album sounds like one song. Which is different from saying the songs all sound the same. It sounds like one hour-long song.

I don't really know how I feel about this album. The instrumentals of the songs were all incredible, but I just cannot get over Björk's vocals. The melodies are too drawn out, the lyrics are run-on sentences, and she is almost never right on the beat, which I know is intentional, but bothers me. I think with vocals that I found more enjoyable this would be a 5/5 album. "Frosti", the only instrumental track on the album was such a sonically cool song, and I wish the whole album was more like it.

I don't think today was a good day to listen to this album. I do keep meaning to listen to more Bjork and I think a song or two at a time was nice, I liked the opening track, but. I will have to reserve any real judgment on the album because it was not an "errands day" vibe.

Will have to listen again. Lots of texture and interesting arrangements. Didn't really catching lyrical themes on this listen.

Finally a lighter album… and still I didn’t care for it. But now I can say I’ve listened to Bjork.

Like a lot of the other reviews for this, the production is really strong but if you can't get into her vocal delivery it's tough

Hidden Place, Pagan Poetry, Heirloom, and Unison.

weird and ethereal. beautiful voice. when you listen to this , it makes you feel like you’re on drugs, but in a good way.

This is a time/place album, but I appreciate the musicianship.

Liked more than I thought I would.

This was at times very beautiful, but also sad and weird. You need to be in a specific mood for this.

Bjork gives a unique experience in that you cannot deny the incredible talent while also feeling uncomfortable and generally hating all of it.

This sounds like a lot of other Björk albums. Incredible, unique voice. Weird arrangements and lots of emotion. Didn't mind it, but it's not really something I'd seek out. 3.5 stars

Bells

I like a good Bjork from time to time

It' good

Nice textures - but for me background music

Björk seems to intrigue the mind until one gets halfway through an album. Then a mind craves a small bag of potent green floral notes to help Björk become interesting again. It is her mysterious nature that allures but the altered state of conscientiousness that helps her endure.

It is certainly interesting, and I feel it is well made and a good use of her unique sounding voice, but it is not my style of music. Still, the production is very good.

This Bjork album is gentle and chill. 3/5

è Bjork, ma fa meno paura del solito

Art pop. Ni fu ni fa.

Bjork just becomes background noise to me. I don't dislike it though.

Good but still not my thing.

Je l'ai trouvé similaire aux autres albums de Bjork que j'ai eu. Je n'ai vraiment pas détesté, mais clairement c'est pas un genre que je suis capable d'apprécier dans les conditions dans lesquelles je les écoute normalement. À réessayer. 6/10

Not my favorite Björk album.

I don't really like Bjork. It's kind of exhausting to listen to her singles in a mix or on the radio so, I hadn't listened to her albums. I was surprised. I actually enjoyed this album. It's not my normal preference, but this was pretty good, especially while working.

Lite som att titta på björken i trädgården. Småtrevligt men inte direkt upphetsande.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Pagan poetry

Another 4th studio album? I'm beginning to sense a trend. I hope I'm wrong here. Not a whole lot here that was engaging for me.

I kind of like the ethereal, hypnotic vibe of Bjork's music, though it is really pretty hard to distinguish many of the pieces if it weren't for the occasionally repeated phrase in the lyrics. An interesting listen.

Worse Grimes

It was alright, some of the songs came across as a little grating, though?

frosti...legendaarisen statuksen saanut biisi...olikin vain five nights at freddy type beat...tubular bellsesque... arvostan...200+ kuuntelua... ennen kyseistä kappalletta on... objektiivisessti paskaa... Emme valitse kohtaloamme. Silti meidän täytyy. . . meidän on täytettävä velvollisuutemme, eikö? Suuri tai pieni, meidän on tehtävä velvollisuutemme. objektiivinen kolmonen..vaikka tahtoa löytyy... aurora

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, it was very melancholic at the start and had a a nice ambience throughout Favourite song: didn’t have one (Bjorks work for me is better as a full project than individual tracks)

3/5 Sometimes good, sometimes just weird. It's Bjork

Ethereal, dissonant and melodic.

This would be great as a very dark and dramatic movie soundtrack. The singing is an acquired taste. Favorite song: Heirloom

I really like Björk, but this album wasn't resonating.

C'est bon... parfois. Des fois c'est juste bizarre et on dirait que c'est fait exprès. Je connais l'Artiste et c'Est vraiment son style. Ca a ca place dans cette liste, mais peut-etre pas dans la mienne. 3.5

Complex and aat time ethereal but just didn't really get into it as much as I thought I would

so very Bjork. Weird and quirky. Not my favorite of hers but still fun to listen to after a long time.

amazingly i didn't hate this. she's still as annoying as fook but at least there's some melodic value in this and not just some incoherent avant-garde warblings.

Probably average

I liked this album more then Debut. A bit easier on the ears, while still being a very avant garde experience

Enjoyed

Hmm, not as enjoyable as Human Behaviour imo. In general I’m not a huge fan of the affected way that Bjork sings. I get that it’s very experimental and transformative and whatnot but most of the time it’s just not my cup of tea Saved tracks: Hidden Place, Heirloom, Unison

Nice to have on in the background while reading but that's about it

very dreamy indie pop

Good

Put the voice aside for a second... I can't imagine not listening to this album in headphones - there are so many little glitchy/computer/electronic/subtly-tactile sounds and rhythms that go from ear to ear that it envelops you - almost feeling like you're within the music. Now the voice - Bjork is the very very rare singer for me that I actually enjoy and/or pay attention to. Customarily i want the vocals to blend with the music and not detract - just sit down and be part of the song. Bjork is completely different in every way. Obviously. It kinda matches the really challenging music - really becoming entwined with the music: another instrument! Still ... I can't fall in love with this one - it's a difficult album to really sink your teeth into - almost completely devoid of hooks of any sort; a song doesn't need to be pop but any sort of recurring motif to sink into would have helped a bit. I listened a few times...it's a fascinating album and one I'd likely listen to again but it's a pretty select choice. 6/10 3 stars

Björk's Vespertine had me feeling like I was living in some kind of gypsy fever dream. I mean, I've never had a gypsy-themed fever dream before, but if I ever do, I hope that this is the album they're playing on repeat throughout it. Björk's voice is like a beautiful bird that's been set loose in a music studio, and it's just flying all over the place, doing crazy acrobatics and hitting all these insane notes. I mean, I don't even know if birds can sing like that, but if they can, I want one. The beats on this album are also wild. They're like a bunch of maracas and tambourines got together and formed a drum circle, and they're just going nuts. I don't know what they put in Björk's tea before she recorded this, but I want some of it. Overall, Vespertine is a trip. It's like Björk took me by the hand and led me on a journey through a magical forest filled with mystical creatures and rainbow-colored mushrooms. And then I ate all the mushrooms. And you know what? I'm here for it. It might not be something I would consider listening to on a daily basis, but once in a blue moon, I might be down for another Björk fever dream.

Good singer

Björk is an acquired taste, and one that not everyone acquires...understandably so. Even for me, her music is only a sometimes food. This particular albums leans heavily into what sounds like lo-fi, magical, fairy and celestial music, at least to me. Her warbly voice lends an air of mystery and intrigue to some already mysterious, sleepy music. This album also sounds like standing between the old and the new; it sounds like small orchestra chamber music of the of the 1700s, mixed with a more modern electronica and trip-hop style. While some may view it as pretentious, I do find it interesting how much intentionality Björk puts into her work. This album in particular seems to have a lot of intentionality around the sound that she was trying to achieve. Every single thing seems to serve a purpose and has a reason for furthering that vision, which is intriguing to read about and discover, at least for me. Really, when "art pop" comes to mind, Björk is often one of the first that comes to mind, and in 2001 when Vespertine was released, Björk was reminding people in the new millennium that art pop is her domain.

Liked it. Not my favourite of hers

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this one as much as I did.

Huh. I guess I kind of like Bjork. Weird. I was super busy today so I don’t have a lot to write about this one. I also didn’t listen super closely. However, I did listen through twice, because after the first listen I still couldn’t believe that I liked a Bjork album. 
I always wanted to like Bjork but I hate Yoko Ono and for some reason, that is all I could hear when I listened to her in the past. A few tracks were really bad songs or really good satire. 3 out of 5 stars.

relisten

Unexpectedly enjoyed a lot of this, I like bjorks voice and it reminded me of bon iver and some minus the bear in parts. Unfortunately there's a lot of pointless madness going on that detracts from many of the songs and there could be a bit more variety.

Bjork hey....I didn't mind this on in the background. Probably wouldn't go back to it though. I've listened to her debut album before and I think I preferred it to this, I didn't dislike this though

Day 14 I had some of this review done here but then the website reset and I didn't have my stuff saved so excuse me if some of the songs have less of an explanation. Hidden Place - 7 Cocoon - 6 It's Not Up To You - 8 - unsettling Undo - 5 Pagan Poetry - 5 - pretty easy listening, might rate it higher if I felt emotionally attached during the song but I just couldn't get there Frosti - 5 Aurora - 5 - I have nothing to say for most of these except they're fine. Honestly the songs are mostly indistinguishable. An Echo, A Storm - 6 - idk, I guess it's a bit creepier sounding which is cool Sun In My Mouth - 5 Heirloom - 6 - voice sounded good but it's still like every other song on this album Harm of Will - 7 - this one sounded a bit better than the others. Don't know why. Unison - 7 Generous Palmstroked - 5 Overall: it was fine. It's okay for an album to have a sound, I just don't like it when it's this focused to wear I literally can't tell multiple songs apart. 77/140 or 55%

som meio transcendental, não muito agradável

Ethereal and brooding. 3.5

Best enjoyed as the soundtrack to an Iceland travel slideshow. Cool stuff here. Quite compelling at its best, but the rest is eh.

Björk lives in that low to mid 3 territory for me. Most of this indistinguishable from her other stuff. I did think Unison was excellent.

Where's that 3.75-star option?

not my jam man

Tunnelmallista ja outoa hyvällä tavalla. Kuuntele uudestaan

Cool blend of bjork's avant-garde pop and experimental 90s electronica influences such as Aphex Twin and Portishead

Really weird

Goeie beats, ver voor z’n tijd, alleen zijn Björks vocal lastig om casual naar te luisteren

Een stem waarvan er geen tweede is (of het moet Emiliana Torrini zijn), en die sommigen wellicht op de zenuwen zal werken. Ik heb daar dan weer geen last van. Gewoon prettig gestoorde dromerige elektro-fluffy-semi-techno, of wat het dan ook maar mag wezen.

Unusual, as expected. This isn't an album I'd listen to often, but it was an interesting experience and I respect Bjork as an artist. Might as well give it a 3.

I was a bit reluctant to put on this record, the bits and pieces I've heard from Bjork weren't really that appealing, but I'll still give it a spin. I have to admit, there's a lot of beauty in this album. Bjork has a pretty voice, and surrounds herself with great musicians to realize the sound in her mind. The music turns out to be very fragile and intimate. Frosti is a beautiful little instrumental. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one! Key tracks: Hidden Place, Cocoon, It's Not Up To You, Pagan Poetry, Frosti, Unison. 7.5 out of 10

Some good songs. Occasionally boring. Definitely trying to do something. Average.

Too sweet

Pagan poetry is one of the best songs I've ever heard

Okay

I mean, I don't ~fully~ get the hype, but it's still beautiful and magical. She put her entire Bjöobs, Bjüssy and Bjëart into these songs, so you go girl. Don't listen to the haters - keep singing about tiny mushroom elves lighting campfires inside your vagina or whatever. Best song's either "Hidden Place" or "Pagan Poetry".

Zwischen 3 und 4. Ist mir alles zu ähnlich manchmal deswegen eine 3.

Weird!

Pretty cool, but also not really something I would listen to multiple times.

I have the album Medúlla generated for me very recently, so can't tell if it is fatigue from Björk music or if that other album was better.

Meh

Ethereal

Björk is the little spoon in a bed set outside amid an ice garden filled with night-blossoming flowers, and there she sleeps and dreams and sighs beneath the wispy green undulating arms of the Aurora.

5/10. Eh. Bjorky

Giving this a mediocre score because I don’t like it that much, but I appreciate that there is some experimentation on this album. Definitely don’t like the electronic sounds as much as I liked Debut. 6/10

There are tracks that I really like from Bjork. On my first listen of Vespertine, I liked what I heard, but didn't bookmark anything to my personal playlist. I also didn't find anything that I was wanting to skip. This album has room to grow on me. The album was good (3 stars)

It's Bjork - and in this case very average Bjork

3.75

I liked this more than our last Bjork-based adventure - felt like there was a bit more depth to it. It's quirky, it's odd, but in places it's really really good. Pagan Poetry is brilliant. Some people seem to find her voice/singing style really offensive, but I certainly don't on this album. Very chilled out soundscape with a lot of nuance on top of it, it's great to work/write to. 3/5, could do with another stand out track to get it up to a 4.

Bjork is a rather hard to crack case for me (file under "first world problems"). On one hand, I consider her voice one of the better things humanity has going for itself. I also like a lot of her music (please refer to my previous review of her album Debut, a very 5 stars affair). However, Bjork is not the artist to produce the same album twice. She likes to explore. Thus far, I find her explorations, while somewhat interesting, not half as thrilling as Debut was. Vespertine is a clear example of this "problem". Lucky for me, Bjork hasn't put a gun to my head to force me to listen to each and every album of hers. I pick and choose, while she's out there having fun exploring. I will not be going back to Vespertine any time soon, but at the same time I appreciate the artist that tries to be original and say something new with each and every album.

It's quite ok but I wouldn't say it's my favourite Bjork album. It feels very samey throughout, which by itself is not a problem but it's not really my genre so that only accentuated some of the things I dislike about electronic. I've only listened to it once and I could see getting accustomed to it with more listens but I'm not sure if I want to come back to this record much.

very lyrically heavy and sonically experimental. Never really got into glitch pop or whatever this could be considered but i can tell based on this album why bjork is probably very influential to a lot of people

Don’t think I would listen to this album again, as unique as it is

The socially acceptable Yoko Ono style musician weaves a mystical transcendent album that can easily put anyone to sleep.

Like it. Need to listen to it more

Björk is the finest example of an artist with a such specific and distinctive voice and style, that she can't be mistaken for anyone else. It's really a double-edged sword, being this unique. You can be instantly recognised and you are only in a league of your own, but you are also in a certain artistic mould, that you can't escape. It must be especially hard for Björk, because her style is mostly experimental, so the more "weird and quirky" the song is, the more it fits into the mould. Similarly, we approach the same conclusion on "Vespertine". Björk's singing is as unusual as ever, voice modulation cut sharp as a razor, soft music, full of various string instruments adds a strong foundation, which actually amplifies the quirkiness of the vocalist. The dichotomy is clearly visible on the album as well. "Cocoon" is an example of, in my opinion, overcomplicated track with Björk being all over the place, cutting deep from all angles. But on the other end of spectrum we have just a little bit more conventional "Pagan Poetry", which is a beautiful composition, where the avant-garde elements are just the compliment, and not at the core. With such an ambivalent feelings, the rating has to reflect it as well, going for the 3 stars, just in the middle.

You can tell every word, every note, every syllable is intentional

It’s pretty - one of Björk’s most easily listenable album. The trade mark vocal acrobatics remain - which one can either love or hate - but the music is a nice soft electrónica - reminiscent of Kid A or Boards of Canada and that ilk. Not great not terrible.

3/5 Good music and vibes, lyrics are weird sometimes haha.

This was a very interesting album. The beats were all produced by Bjork, she said she created them all. Her vocals are very dreamy. Many of the songs felt... ethereal. The lyrics are a bit undecipherable to me, though. I think that if she just did more singing of oohs and ahs, I would like it more. I don't know, I would think Bjork would be more in my wheelhouse, something I would really get into. But for some reason, I just don't totally get it. I'm not saying she's talented, I just never got her stuff. It's just a bit too... far out for me? (And I think that's saying something, considering some of the stuff I listen to.) So it's ok, but I am never going to pull it up and say "oooooh, I want to listen to THAT."

Sorry, still can't do it. She has such an elegant voice but her unique style is just not for me. Probably the electronica - also not my favorite style. I didn't hate it, but I found myself wondering when it might be over. I am still not interested in exploring more of her work after this album.

This album is definitely a mood (sometimes a sexually-explicit mood - Bjork was apparently very horny when she wrote this album - see the video for Pagan Poetry). I'm not always a fan of some of the lo-fi sounds she goes with, but this album is ethereal and takes you away somewhere else. Favorite tracks: Hidden Place (haunting and sultry at the same time), It's Not Up To You/Undo (I'm putting these together because they share an important message about letting go of anxiety - both are beautiful entrancing tracks), and Heirloom. Probably my main problem with the album (outside the lo-fi stuff I don't like) is that it's a lot of similar sounding music throughout. I enjoyed the album, but have to go with a 3 - good to hear but I don't think I'll be seeking it out.

Solid album; deviation from normal listening Good natural vocals but the fairy voice attempts aren’t for me Elite production and mixing whoever did that must be one of the best

Ack, another Bjork album on the list! As much as I'm exposed to Bjork's music here, I still can't get into her music. It's partly her voice, but the music feels like it's weird just to be weird and it feels somewhat forced, if that makes any sense. As far as what I've heard so far (her 3rd record on the list), this one isn't bad and I did make it through the whole album, so it didn't bug me as much as her others. Yes, that's a compliment.

Björk continues to elude me. I like the concepts, I like the atmosphere, but she makes albums that seem to demand multiple listens to unlock everything, and I'm just not that deep into it. I do love the choral vocals and the various flavors of electronic music on here, however. Favorite tracks: "It's Not Up to You", "Aurora"

its Bjork

that was cute?

It’s Björk!

My god, is this where the indie girl voice comes from?! Can't really fault Bjork for that totally since it's probably her legit accent but I HATE that vocal style. Very lush instrumentation and the choir aspect makes the album feel epic, almost like a soundtrack for a movie. But I don't know if I can get over the indie girl accent.

The first couple or songs are typical Björk-gloomliness, but it gets better. Björk really experiments with different styles and instrumentation. Pagan Poetry and Aurora are real standouts. 3/5

Compared to Björks album Debut this lacks energy. Björks vocals as usual are splendid but the accompanying instrumentals could need a little more punch. I actually miss the electronic club vibes from Debut. Vespertine lays it focus on the more artsy side. The production quality is extremely well done and there really isn't anything lacking when it comes to the mixing. After listening to this album I would like to go back and increase my rating for Debut.

Gorgeously produced instrumentals. However I think björks vocals have an acquired taste that I haven’t acquired yet. The vocal quality is beautiful but I do wish there was an instrumental version of this project. So 3/5

Very creative and quite interesting.

Pretty similar thoughts to the previous Bjork album I was dealt. Not loving her vocals here, and the introspective lyrics kind of pass me by; maybe it's just too artsy for me. Production/mastering is excellent. Really saves the album for me. Fave tracks: Cocoon, Unison

Cooing. Breathing. Warbling. It’s a mellow vibe. I like Björk when she’s a little more growly and screamy.

Bjork in perhaps the mellowest album of her career, and the last one that could really be called pop. Last song is an absolute tune.

A difficult album for me to assess. Its songs are almost completely lacking in melody in the conventional sense. Her singing while gorgeous is unique and again does not follow conventional song structure rules. Hidden Place has moments of beauty especially the choral voices towards the end. Cocoon an incredible breathy vocal performance with spare arrangement that does not resonate with me. It's Not up to You, starts out with typically unconventional phrasing over some lush strings and electronic flourishes. The chorus has a more conventional pop song feel that helps me to connect with the song. Undo is similar with overdubbed voices and some gorgeous choral arrangements. Again little in the way of conventional song structures, but moments of beauty. Pagan Poetry, the highlight of the album for me and its centerpiece. It's mystical eastern sounds go beautifully with another tour de force vocal performance. But by the time we get Aurora I find myself wishing for some tempo variations. And that's how this album leaves me...feeling of promise unfulfilled, wanting more. 3 🌟

This is another on the list of artists that should only be on this list once. Is it good - yes. Is it demonstrably better or different than the earlier Björk releases? Not to me.

Very strange and Bjork. Intricately produced but not something I'd ever need to hear again.

Alltaf er talað um hvað Björk sé og hafi verið á undan sinni samtíð og allt það með tónlist sinni. En... hljóðheimurinn í mest megninu af þessari plötu er copy/paste af Exciter með Depeche Mode sem kom út rúml 2 mánuðum fyrr. Það var ekkert *nýtt* fyrir mér á þessari plötu allavega. Nú telst ég ábyggilega vera föðurlandssvikari í framhaldinu.

p872. 2001. 3 stars. The Icelandic love child of Sinead O'Connor and David Lynch. This sounds like the lost soundtrack to Twin Peaks. Having said that, their is only so much weirdness you can listen to before it gets boring. Well done of its kind, but becomes background music real soon.

Lo recuerdo como el disco menos guay de Björk. Hay que darle otra oportunidad a ver que tal se da.

Pop tranquilo y elegante. Ciertos ritmos diferentes. Muy buena voz. Un tanto estándar

I have stayed away from Björk for a long time. Mostly because her voice has never appealed to me. And on this album that problem is there, but I'm also listening to a whole chunk of her at once as opposed to the occasional song here and there, so I’m hearing her more consistently and appreciating more just what an expressive and impressive vocalist she is. I think when she leans into the "manic pixie breathy" thing it doesn't click with me, but when she extends her range, it's magical. Also the musical arrangements on this album are really incredible. I read up a bit on this album and how she produced it, and it's clear that so much love and attention went into it. Sometimes the beats and melodies don't quite land for me, but when the unholy marriage of glitchiness and groove coincide, along with the vocals, it's wonderful.

It is an interesting record, to say the least. Really enjoyed the vocals. However, Vespertine felt overthought a quarter of the time for me. I feel inspired to explore more of Bjork's discography, however, I don't feel the urge to come back to this album.

Lubie chillowe, ale to nie szczególnie przypadło mi do gustu.

Delicate music box

Interesting but not close to Debut in listening pleasure. One frail sounding song after another. Didn't add.

Oh Bjork, how utterly lovely, cute, adorable, challenging, and sometime's utterly frustrating to listen to you are.

Weird but good

Despite some of Björk's irritating vocal tics, this is a mostly enjoyable LP. The production is lush and encompassing, and the instrumentals generally offer interesting melodic progressions intertwined with the singer's swooping delivery. Could use some editing, though, as most tracks exhaust their ideas by the halfway point.

It was interesting for sure, but it went a little bit too far. First part of the album was very much better.

Nok no. Hørres likt ut som da forrige

- this was relaxing, not disturbing - no idea what she was saying but it feels nice - i was able to to background work

The first impression of Bjork's music is always of something terribly trivial, obnoxious and ultimately boring. With her, a lot always happens in the studio. However, there is something meditative about it, which I thoroughly enjoy. (6/10) FT: Unison, Pagan Poetry

great electronic production. i've not ever been the biggest fan of her lyrics but her albums are always an interesting listen.

its like art pop but while interesting its lacking something that's actually pleasant to listen to still decent though

A reluctant 3/5, because there's too much good in here to deny. Musically, it's varied and interesting. Lyrically, it's a mixed bag of clunky, weird, downright pretentious, and the occasional unguarded bit of inspiration. My biggest problem is Bjork's vocal style itself. Breathy, gossamer sing-speaking is all well and good, but too often she's determined to linger and play with the rhythm and melody long past the point at which listening to her do so is enjoyable. There's this mode of delivery that sounds like a jazz vocalist on sedatives - a soporific scat that completely robs the track of propulsion. Syllables are drawn out until they almost lose any semantic value. That said, that isnt constant: there's enough in here that works, and when it works, it's elven and intimate, and hell, a little bit sensual.

And the randomizer has given me another Björk album; it could be much worse. This is Björk's fourth album and much more subdued than her previous three which had big beats and more pop-oriented songs. This music is still in the electronic or techno music genre with a more quiet rhthym or beat backbone, "microbeats", filled in with strings, keyboards and her voice. Maybe not a good comparison but reminded me hearing Radiohead's "Kid A" for the first time in that it's different and more abstract than what came before. There is not really an obvious "hit" single but I did enjoy most of the songs which flow together very nicely. The focus of most these songs is pretty obvious: romance and sex. The two songs that were highlights for me were "Cocoon" which reminded me of the Radiohead album with its subtle beats and "It's Not Up to You" and its dramatic strings and arrangements. This album is one that I liked more and more after each listen and is definitely one you want to listen to from start to finish.

I wonder if this is the album that sparked her famous swan costume she wore back them. A very quirky album but that isn't a bad thing. I was never a huge fan of Bjork besides Gloomy Sunday, but this was enjoyable.

Well it’s Björk, so that’s always good for an adventure.

I really like about half this record. Quite a lot actually. But the other half, well, I don’t. But I will listen again at least the half I like.

First off, I love Bjórk. I always said that if I never made it as a day-trader on Wall Street, I was going to move to Iceland and become a truck driver just so could share the island with her. Don't you just want to put her in your pocket? Her and her little raspy voice and funny accent...? She's so cute. Anyway, something I'm not so fond of is her heavy use of wind chimes, harps, harpsichords and music boxes on this album. I feel I'm being lured into an eerily warm land of ferries and gnomes, 25-hour days of golden sunlight and wizards. If Debut, Post and Homogenic never worked out, this may have just been another international artist that nobody knows how to rate. But put against some of her other work, this just doesn't have the same energy. Bottom line, I think Bjórk is an amazing artist and has a clear vision of what music can be. However, that doesn't always translate to music for wide-public consumption.

J'avais des attentes plus élevées de ça. Performances vocales intéressantes, mais rien qui restera mémorable pour moi - 3

3.4 + This was around when I fell out as a Bjork fan. This one’s dense and only rewards the closest of listens. Overly complex lyrics that feel like they were lifted raw from some teenager’s poetry journal. Rather than edit herself, Bjork elects to build songs around the complexity - a worthy challenge for a musician but less so for the listener. Still, there are moments of striking beauty: “Harm of Will”, “Frosti” and “Undo.” Overall, it feels foggy and I can see why I dreaded revisiting this album.

Björk doesn't have a as voice but it almost seems wasted on such a minimalistic and almost boring music style

C’est intéressant de lire le contexte de cet album. Un album fait après une période intense pour Björk et où les artistes commençaient à travailler avec des laptops pour composer. Il y a beaucoup de manipulations sonores pour construire les beats. Cet album a également été composé alors que Napster et les téléchargements devenaient de plus en plus populaires et elle voulait que tous les instruments ne soient pas altérés par l’écoute suite aux download. Ce n’est pas le plus accessible des albums, mais il est intéressant et cadre bien dans la discographie de l’artiste.

3.5

Now this was pretty cool! Icelandic chilled trip hop beats! Beautiful silky vocals and again, something I would never have listened to without this! Not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but well worth a listen!

I've been meaning to listen to some Bjork ever since my Icelandic vacation awhile back, but somehow never got up the momentum. The album title, art, track list, do give an idea what's coming. Hidden Place is a strong enjoyable start but I find Cocoon unpleasant and I am worried the whole album would be the sort of performative weird that really rubs me the wrong way. I like It's Not Up To You quite a bit but Pagan Poetry is too much. Frosti is undeniably beautiful. And so on through the album. Moments of genius and stretches of what might be genius but they didn't land with me.

There’s some interesting things happening sound and texture wise on ‘Vespertine’. It’s undeniably well produced but doesn’t sound dated for an album that’s 20 years old. Bjork’s voice is as clear and beautiful and piercing as ever, while the album as a whole is both ice cold, yet warm and inviting. I really like some parts of it, but other parts meander. Your own enjoyment of this record may well depend on how you feel when you put it on, and how much you can emotionally invest and drop into its overall mood and aesthetic.

OK

This album has beautiful music and instrumentals. It's almost ethereal. However, Björks strange, offbeat singing completely kills the mood.

Everything I know about Bjork comes from the X-Files movie, Dancer in the Dark, and the Swan dress she wore. Now, it turns out Hidden Place from this album was the song from the X Files soundtrack, and I listened to this song a LOT. She really has a style of electronic and pop that works. Her music is a combination of fantasy, nightmares, dreams, and like drugs. It's a trip for sure. I think in the realm of electronic pop, she's close to the best so far that I've heard. She plays with mixes and sound too, which makes for a unique listening experience.

vespertine \ˈve-spər-ˌtīn\ adj. 1: of, relating to, or occurring in the evening 2: active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening noun 1: a dull album that sounds like trip-hop but much lighter. Characterized by an enchanting whispery voice, music box tinkles, and some household sounds. Typically with a great first half and a boring second half. verb 1: when some Icelandic woman tried, typically through music, to stimulate being cozy at home but instead ended up stimulating a fever dream where one is in an alien house in the middle of woods where they are indeed cozy but very bored

Stemmig, richting irritatie maar toch wel een prettige stem (kom ik nu pas achter, vroeger een zware allergie)

Leuker dan verwacht, maar voor mij blijft het een eendagsvliegje.

Interessant album. Niet helemaal met volle aandacht kunnen luisteren, maar dit leek me wel te kunnen bekoren

Qua productie en sfeer heel mooi. Dit is denk ik wel een plaat die ik meerdere keren zou moeten luisteren om er echt 'in' te komen.

Mooi. Welkome afwisseling. Wel irritatie over hoe ze ‘I lof joe I lof joe I lof joe’ zingt.

Better than the other one that was on here, but still only okay. No recognized songs

“If there's one question to be raised with the album, it's that it's all simply so lush and nice that on some levels it fails to excite."

Not a bad record, not a gigantic Björk fan but I can appreciate her work and this felt like a great example of her work to get more acquainted.

Bit weird

An enjoyable listen but won’t hurry back

An amazing album that should score higher however the awful vocals detract from the experience. Could have been a five, at least Bjork's wailing is kept to a minimum.

Very bjork... The music was generally interesting but I could do without her for the most part. Cool in the background I guess

3. it's Bjork, you know what you're getting when you go into it and this certainly delivered on Bjork. Pleasant to listen to if a bit odd at times.

3/5

Whether or not you like the dreaminess of the vocals is personal preference. Regardless, she sure can sing and I doubt even those giving 1 ratings with the most entertainingly obnoxious comments would dispute that. The little beats and drifts in the music are good but enjoying them requires listening intently or else you miss the nuances. This album is all about the nuances. I'd like to listen to this album with headphones in a dark room or see her in concert so I could keep the level of focus needed to enjoy the music. When playing it at home it's easy to get distracted. Some songs like Hidden Place, Pagan Poetry and Unison are enjoyable without headphones or a concert ticket since the beats are more intricate / noticeable. Most of the other songs require hard work to keep focused.

The first song is quite splendid. What caught my attention aside from the catchy melody was the production, with the choir, orchestrations and electro beat. It’s impressive that she produced and wrote or co-wrote all the songs and it seems like the ones I like best, including Unison and It’s Not up to You, she wrote solo. The music is unstructured and arty, but the melodies couldn’t hold me for a full LP.

I enjoy reading the 5 star and 1 star reviews for each album just to see the contrasts of how some folks will absolutely love it while others will detest the same album. The difference in musical taste for folks is fascinating. Bjork is certainly one of the more polarizing artists out there. I really respect her talent for painting impressionistic soundscapes with her songs, but a the same time her singing style can be very unsettling. So I'm not in the 5 star or 1 star camp, I'm pretty much in the middle, I love her AND I hate her.

Not what you expect to hear from Björk - very good for background noise.

Really enjoyed this weird shit

Wow, just wow. At first I thought the hell is this?! Then, I've listened. Omg. It's so different to what I usually listen to. Extremely experimental, heard sounds I normally wouldn't hear elsewhere. Incredible. Bjork, I'll definitely check out more of her work.

Wasn’t as bad as I thought but not for me

Another’s one of these things I can appreciate the artistry of but I find the music and particularly the signing exhausts me pretty quickly.

This wasn't as weird as I expected.

Can't believe it but this is decent. Heirloom is the best track on the album.

Not for me, but I can appreciate it.

eh. this is so intesne it can be difficult to listen to. 3

I like Bjork but hadn't listened to this one before. The production is excellent like always but it didn't sound like there were enough good songs underneath it

I know Björk, but I never liked too much of her work...it's not anything special, but it's nothing my kind of thing. This album does not change my mind, but I think that I "understood" better her work and this is a nice thing.

Not nearly as good as her Debut imo, but still wonderful.

Veramente unico e particolare

I listened to 3 other Bjork albums as a run at this one and, maybe I was Bjork'd out by the time I hit this one, it didn't seem as strong as the others. A few tracks sounded like she just set the mic up on her deck during a windy day and recorded her windchimes go nuts..

I liked it but as with all Bjork albums, I don't really have a desire to listen again.

It's good but not enough for me

3/5

-She is clearly going for a certain feeling, and definitely achieves it -Very chill, and consistent throughout the album -To me, it often sounds like the intro to a song that is going to eventually going to pick up, but a more intense song was obviously not the goal

Fun early electronic music. Enjoyed the experimental aspects similar to psychedelic rock.

Good album, she is not afraid to take risks with her sound, it was experimental at the time and no doubt influential but for me it’s mainly background music.

An enjoyable listen but won’t hurry back

An album I can always come back to.

eeeeeeeh

I don't dislike the dreamy style. It treads a fine line between musically creative and weird for the sake of weird

Ugh, just don't care for Bjork. it's interesting, but not my jam.

So far I was underwhelmed until “it’s not up to you”. Still not blown away though. Maybe I’m too marinated in a culture affected by bjork to understand why she’s so revered and respected. Ok “undo” is pretty dope too. Maybe I like the more lush songs over the minimalist early 2000s beeps and boops. End of “undo” with that bitcrusher. Not a big fan of that aesthetic. Maybe because I grew up on aol dial up. I feel like I might be missing out on lyrics too. Iirc she’s known for her emotional lyrics and when I listen to music, especially on first listens, I tend to ignore lyrics for the instrumental. My ear more naturally gravitates there. “Pagan poetry” seems like one where I’m missing out by not gravitating to lyrics. “Aurora” would be a great song to walk around somewhere cold outdoors to. Finishing up the album now. Better than how I felt at the beginning but still not blown away.

Production: 16/20 Songwriting: 12/20 Innovation: 15/20 Bangers: 0/20 Emotional response: 15/20 =58 Very high three - would have moved up a level with just one banger!

Vocals were impressive... but I doubt I'll regularly listen to Björk. Haha

Hidden Place was amazing, other tracks were enjoyable but I probably wouldn't go back and listen to the whole album again.

A nice listen but kind of passed me by. Last song is great.

5

It was alright. Some fine sounds, but not necessarily my cup of tea favorite tracks: “Pagan Poetry” and “Sun In My Mouth”

k

Björky

I can appreciate what she’s doing, but I don’t necessarily enjoy listening to it.

Comentaba que este es quizá mi disco favorito de Bjork, aunque debo aceptarlo no soy un gran fan de ella. Siento que es una persona sincera en cuanto a lo que quiere hacer, aunque a veces lo "intenta de más" y termina sintiéndose un poco... ridículo no es la palabra correcta, es más bien exagerar el arte por el arte (lo cual no tendría que ser malo per se). A ratos la siento como si fuera una Yoko Ono o Maria Abramovic pero con verdadero talento y algo que decir. El disco es interesante, la instrumentación y la razón de su elección son curiosas y el resultado se siente único. De verdad se siente como un proyecto conceptual bien pensado, con un sentido etéreo/erótico muy fuerte y bien trabajado. La parte mala es que aunque me puede agradar buena parte si llega el punto en que esa amalgama que no se detiene de sonido igual no para y el disco se convierte en una canción que no acaba y solo fluye sintiéndose igual y esta muchacha sigue gritando exactamente igual y cae en el punto de cansar un poco. Un disco muy respetable, creo merece ser escuchado, entiendo a quien le fascine pero no llega a ser mi máximo.

Haven't listened to Bjork before. Some moving music - Enjoyed Unison

Upper tier Bjork. Still an acquired taste. 3.5.

I just really don’t think I dig Björk but she’s talented.

Definitely different. Not something I would listen to every day but good as background music when you're chilling.

Leuk voor een keertje

El disco tiene un estilo parecido al de “Cigarrettes after sex”. Probablemente influyó en el estilo estético de ellos. Aunque el disco es interesante, tanto en la música como en la producción, se vuelve muy tedioso hacia las últimas canciones. Creo que Björk no es tanto mi estilo. Mi canción favorita del disco (y ahora en mi lista) es justo la primera: Hidden Place. De hecho quedaría muy bien opening credits de una película de James Bond. Las demás canciones me parecieron reiteraciones del mismo concepto.

Nunca me había atraído como para escuchar un disco completo y la verdad es que voy a darme tiempo para revisar los demás. Tiene un sonido crudo y sincero, tal vez por como fue concebido el concepto del disco (inicios del 2000, primer disco descargable) además tiene un plus con todo el tema digital más allá del disco, tu podías editar las rolas y hacerlas a tu antojo. Siempre he creído que está loquita pero más bien tiene un amor inmenso por el arte y no todos vemos el mundo de igual manera.

Is it ok to say this is just weird? I don't hate it...but I'm not exactly sure I like it either. It's noise with a melody. I don't really feel like I understand any of the songs but I appreciate the quiet smooth music. Some of it felt like Christmas music - like that choir - near opera feeling. I think this is the type of music you feel comfortable hearing in hallways on low volume. I'm not sure the melodies are exactly ever really recognizable - just pretty and calming. Bjork fans are probably like omg I have a favorite but to me it's just fairly calm music that sound mostly the same. It's not up to you is the best of the album for me

Digging the digital and stringy sounds

Weird Icelandic musical collage, but I like it. Vespertine means pertaining to the evening

Vokste på mæ, bedre andre gang

3.5 Surprisingly it was very listenable and wasn't ass shrill and avant garde as I thought it would be.

iceland e tals

Ok album, cool sounds but nothing really that memorable

Bells & whispers

Hidden Place is good; the rest is a bit iffy

Chill

Interesting stuff. Reminds me of NIN a bit.