Debut

Björk grabs your hand and says “Follow me”. She leads you through The City (which city? Any city. All cities), pausing here and there, at house parties, city gardens, rooftops, office blocks, to show you the essence of that place. She takes you into a closet and whispers into your ear, there’s more to life than this. Every place she shows you has its own unique sound, but the guide is always indisputably Björk; writhing and shapeshifting and impossible to pin down, but in the act of taking you on this tour of The City, you realise through the sights she’s shown you, the things she’s pointed out, that she’s revealed more of herself than any direct confessional would give you.

Fell in love with Bjork when I first saw the Michel Gondry video for "Human Behavior" on MTV when I was 13 years old. She is a true artist who is practically a genre of her own. She bravely follows her eccentric vision wherever it leads her. I have nothing but respect for her and nearly everything she does. Some of the sounds on this album are a bit dated now but man this shit was cutting edge at the time. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of her sonic explorations. Listen to the live version of this album to see a radical reinterpretation of these songs and the true capabilities of her songwriting.

So this is just straight-up as good as everyone says it is. Björk's voice is iconic, of course, but I'd never listened to a full project and therefore had never heard the pure range. I don't mind albums that veer all over the place, style-wise, but it's usually a rather personal enjoyment. The transitions between songs here are just objectively good, even when they are between crooning and live-recorded club tracks.

For those who weren't there at the time, it's a little difficult describing how fresh and simply "out there" Björk's *Debut* felt when it came out in 1993. The difficulty is twofold: first, even though the former Sugarcube member drew heavily on the budding UK dance and electro scene for her early sonic explorations, that idiosyncratic voice of hers and its oh-so-Icelandic mannerisms were so powerful, so unique, that they could transcend any of the clichés picked out of her toy box to build the different soundscapes of her first solo effort. It's a voice everyone is familiar with now, whether you're a fan or not. But *at the time*, it was just something unheard of, even if you were a little aware of the Sugarcubes somehow. And it didn't even matter if some discrete parts of this first album already sounded somewhat *dated*, perhaps willingly, as with those tongue-in-cheek UK-club-scene inspired titles such as "Crying", "Big Time Sensuality" or "Violently Happy"--not to mention that naked cover of the cheesy Broadway novelty standard "Like Someone In Love", with only a simple harp to support Björk's extravagant ad-libs recorded in one take (small blunders included). The sheer originality of that voice, its harmonic instincts, along with its crystal-clear, youthful, Lolitaesque timbre--all of this could break through any wall, champagne glass or heart in the close vicinity. And just as importantly, that voice could sell any sort of music it chose as a backdrop, as long as the latter was decently written. So, in a way, it didn't really matter who Björk made this album with, even though Nellee Hooper did an excellent job co-writing half of the tunes and arranging all of them--his production chops here fortunately drawing more from an overall Massive Attack-level of quality than any of that hackneyed stuff he was responsible for in Soul II Soul. The Sugarcubes had just been a training run for Björk. Now she was embracing a promising future, being free to choose her collaborators as she saw fit for whatever was on her mind. Speaking of the future... The *other* difficulty when it comes to a retrospective take of *Debut* is to try to ignore everything that came after so as to assess it on its own terms. It's a near-impossible task. *Post*, *Homogenic* and *Vespertine* were genres of their own, the moments Björk burned her ships behind her for good so as to never turn back (if one of those albums is missing in this list of 1001 albums, it's just a crime). Those records are so striking and wonderful that *Debut* is a litlle pale in comparison, as flashy and eccentric as it first looked when it came out. Still, a large taste of the good things to come is still present in this record, and, unsurprisingly, those songs are the ones holding out better today. "Human Behaviour" is a quirky existential hit, as if Björk was a toddler playing with a Swiss clock, winding and rewinding it until the right joyful noise comes out. And I could listen to that bouncy timbal-sort-of-sound pattern for years, just as I could listen to Talvin Singh's lush, strings-and-tabla arrangements in "Venus As A Boy" for decades. This deceptively simple and tender song about an androgynous lover, one of Björk's greatest tunes, indeed marks a turning point where, for the first time ever, maybe, so-called "world music" was not used as a conceptual gimmick, but as a fresh, spontaneous impulse to fully embrace the sounds of this small blue planet, as varied as those sounds are. Björk is truly the first "global" artist to ever become a superstar. And more than any PR plan or conceptual blurb attached to what she was doing, this philosophy was translated into the music first and foremost.  For all its minor shortcomings, *Debut* is actually a very rare case in music history, one where an artist manages to push the enveloppe while still retaining their spontanity. The results of this rare combination are both playful and organic. "One Day", for instance, expertly uses a William Orbit style of ambient techno to paint the picture of an elated, wide-eyed messiah dreaming about a hopeful future. The song *is* naive, there's no arguing about that. And yet, it never makes you want to snarl or smirk, so enticing it is. Utopia is in our hands, you just need to believe in it. As for "Aeroplanes" and "The Anchor Song", they channel decades of jazz flourishes into their fabric and turn them into mere children's games, as easy on the ear as they are evocative on the mind. "The Anchor Song", in particular, is a miniature masterpiece, its barebones horn section displaying a minimalistic poetry that is all more fitting given the subject matter: Björk can only feel at home while bathing in an ocean, a paradox for many, but not for the romantic she is at heart. Maybe for certain cynical types out there, this sounds a trifle like a Sublime101 course. But it's a lesson the Icelandic songwriter will refine again and again in the future, starting with "Hyperballad" on the next record. It all starts there, with this track. And even before that, *Debut* remains a fountain of youth and potentialities, even today. *Here* is the deep lesson that makes the album an essential listen for both young and old souls of this world. Births, beginnings, eclosions, take-offs--you name them--have rarely felt any better than on this one. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 989 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 4 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 5 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 3]

This feels completely unique, which is one of the best qualities an album can have. The range of influences is so wide there's bits of pop, electronica and jazz. Some of the tracks are avant-garde ballards and some sound like house tracks written by poncey art students. All the different elements are all linked by Björk's really distinctive voice, which provides a nice consistency to the album. I can see some people turned off by her vocals but once I got used to them I found them very enjoyable. I will listen to this again.

Brilliant. Can’t think of many better DEBUTS

She bust her pussy trying to belt out some of these songs. Fair play to her, I bet she's still bleeding. I know I am.

I know Bjork is idolised but to me this is an extended play of irritating noise that's akin to nails on a blackboard

I love her. She connects with me on a visceral level, beyond what can be put in words. So raw and honest. Comforted me when I was having a major crisis, and though it’s a long time past, the connection lingers. Just so grateful for what she gifts to the world

Truly what separates Björk from the pack is her haunting vocal quality and endless soundscapes. It feels comfortably Claustrophobic in the way the most people talk about space.

What an unbelievable energy right from the start and boy does it carry through the album. It's hard to believe this album came out in 1993; it holds up incredibly well. That's due in equal parts to Bjork's voice, the wonderful instrumentals, and the interesting variety between songs.

I adore this album. I've never heard anything like it; it was so different and probably the only taste breaker I've listened to that I actually enjoyed. Bjork is able to fuse genres like nobody's business and make something entirely new: something of the Bjork genre. As an album, this record flows beautifully, with a perfect slow song to end this wild trip. Bjork!

Classic, but Post is better. Human behaviour bops!

Wow. This album is so, so good!!! I grew up thinking Bjork was some weirdo (and she is!) but appreciate the artistry and new sounds so much more now! This one is going into my rotation.

On this album you’ll find: - Escapism - Vivid songwriting - A huge amount of originality - Beautiful vocal performances - Elements of house music One of my favorites.

Easily one of my top 50 albums. The quirkiness and uniqueness of Björk has always set them apart from other artists. Been a fan of this album from the very first listen.

Gosh dang do I love this. Each song is so well crafted and incorporates different aspects of electronica, jazz, hip-hop, and world music. Such a interesting and entertaining listen. 9/10

I've always been a fan of Björk. Not a huge one, but I loved Post as a teen, and later Medúlla and Vespertine. How genius is There's More To Life Than This where the music cuts out? So, so cool. I obviously already knew Human Behaviour and Venus As A Boy, but this whole record is great and each song stands up on its own merit. Favourite tracks: Human Behaviour, Venus As A Boy, Aeroplane, The Anchor Song, Play Dead.

So flipping good. Brought me back to my student days. I’d forgotten how great every song on this album is.

Compared to the Bjork album 1001 sent us, this one jumps around a lot more. There are quite a few house tracks, which surprised me, I guess I had dropped out of the club scene pre-93. Anyway, I think they've held up well. Bringing in Oliver Reed to do the saxophone arrangements on Aeroplane and the Anchor Song was very brave - and refreshing, as I was tiring of the electro beats by the end of the album. The jazz-standard cover, on the other hand, demonstrates that her voice works best with her own (weird) material. Speaking of her own material, Venus as a Boy is just an epic track - the production, her voice and lyrics come together perfectly. Human Behaviour is up there too. A great debut.

What an incredible debut from a totally unique and groundbreaking artist. There was never anything like Bjork before, and there will never be another Bjork

People pretend to like this for clout

Fairly significant problems with tempo and a too-frequent langourous drift that fails to deepen mood the longer it goes undermine the themes of empowerment and big time sensuality. But I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of wholeness and frequently tickled by witty musical punctuation drawn from an ambitious range of instruments. So while I don't doubt her intelligence concerning human behaviour, I'm less convinced by her ability to turn it into music that fully engages me in between the puctuation. Makes sense that it's on the list though. No quibbles from me.

I just couldn't get behind this to be honest, and I really wanted to like it. It was just too much noise, not enough music.

Some superb backing tracks separated by screechy nonsense, largely about going for a swim.

Don't really understand Bjork's music - just experimental, really weird stuff. And no, she does not have a great voice, she's just the artsy chick in class that paints and is into horses. 3/10.

Fun, ethereal, a bit surreal at times. This was cetainly an experience! Instrumentals were interesting, vocal work very nice and emotional. 'The Anchor Song' was my fave.

yes

incredible voice wow! wasn’t sure how i’d feel listening to a full album by björk, but in general i really enjoyed this album. the last half is amazing.

Great album, still holds up today in my opinion

A great debut, but quite a bit outshined by her other works

Ailishin pilli.. Hehehe... Billy.. vai... Hehheh.... Billy ailiiishi... hehehe 1990-luvun, vuoden 3.. 1993.... billi.... Hehhe.. EI OLE EI OLE! EI OLE AILISH BILLY!!! BJÖRK grrrr! ääni tosi hyvä monessa biisisssä!! tyttöpoika!!!! Tomboy!!!! hyvä björk sano grr!!! Ei.. ei ole totta.. Björk on herkkä.. kullannuppu.. MUTTA PASKAA MUSIIKKIA MISSÄÄN EI OLE MITÄÄN SYVYYTTÄ RANDOM SOITATUSTA KOKO HARAKAN TUOTANTO!!! Toisaalta 1903.. ei ollu ennen kuultu tällästä sillon.... Aika uus juttu Eräs henkilö kuvaili albumia tällä sanalla: "Lolitaesque-timbre" jonka ensimmäine sana (se sana joka ei tarkota suomeksi sointiväriä) tarkoittaa Precociously sexually alluring Precociously tarkoittaa: (of a child) having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual. Jos piilottelet björkin kuuntelemistasi olet kaappipedo. Jos et, olet avoin asian suhteen. Hehe. Ei naurata. Oikeestan noiden sanojen jälkeen ymmärrän tän albumin paremmin. Oli kiva että oli erilaisia biisejä... hehe samaahan ei jaksa toistamiseen pötköttää kallon ääni keskukseen uudestaan..... Niikun blind tsännel... hehe... Radiosta kalloon koputtaa.. en avaa.. saatanalle ovea.. Human behavior alussa islantilainen aksentti tyttölauleskelee.. "Theres more to life than this.." siisti sirrytää toiseen tilaan.. björk puhuu.. taas kuuntelijalle.. Milk barissa basso pömpyttää harmonisilla taajuuksilla enemmän kuin missö niiden pitäis pömpyttää.. aritistisena keinona toimiva.. HAUSKA! Violently happy paras biisi, kaikki mikä björkissä on kivaa on kivan pop pömpötyksen takana eikä oo nii artistinen, vaan björk nöpön ääni paistattelee islanti aksentillaan..kannattaakohan suomalaisen täältä.. ralli........... Vika biisihkö liian artistinen meikäkorvaan.. ei ihan nappaa.. Björk tyyline lopetus.. peppi pitkätossu tulee mieleen.. tyttö tehny.. Kolme mietin kuuntelemisen jäkivaiheessa.. vaikka ekojen biisien jälkeen.. nelostakin.. olis voinu jopa.. olisin halunnu uskoa.. EI VAIHDETA sitä kolmos juttua nyt jälkijöpinöillä... Se numero tulee tunnetilasta jonka albumi, ei biisit saivat aikaan. Tämä tuotti 3/5 arvosta. Upea teos. Mutta myös paskaa!

WHYYYY?!?!? I am really questioning Robert Dimery and has judgment of music. How can Harry Belfonte not be on this entire list. The artist left off for this utter crap is beyond my comprehension. BORK is a joke. The Prodigy is a joke. Blur having three albums on the list is a joke and a crime. His Wiki page said that he worked at Time Out and Vogue. He is from the Untied Kingdom and doesn't have any known musical talent. This book needs a massive overhaul.

please stop giving me Bjork albums

Great, fun album by the one and only

10/10, no notes, perfect album

I thought I hated Björk. Nope. I loved this and want to listen to more.

The House influences dates it a lot more than the best of her works, but the core sound is rock solid.

Bjork rocks.

Bjork is so sick. This one’s got enough EDM-backed tracks to hold it back from a 5 to me, but I know she gets there on later albums. As a singer alone she’s one of the greats. Amazing that’s not even necessarily what she’s most known for.

Liked it a lot more than I expected. 4/5.

Beautiful soul, lyrics and human.

Björk is always fun to listen to. This project isn't as far out as her later work but it's still an odd sound for someone new to her music. I will say I'm not a big fan of the electronic and dance influences on some of these tracks but as a whole it's still an engaging listen.

Unapologetically inventive.

Not the best Bjork album, but god I love her.

My mind is confused about whether to love or hate her. The album's chaotic and appealing at the same time. It's entirely unique, it's hard to think of any other so distinctive debuts.

björk is like one of those quirky weird artsy girls except her work in engulfed in sincerity. This could have easily gone the route of pretentiousness rather quick. On paper, this probably IS pretentious. And yet, björk delivers an otherworldly gateway with one foot grounded in our reality, like some sort of musical demigod. As someone who is sensitive to certain vocal styles and pitches, her singing doesn't always work for me. There's at least one song on the album that I appreciate much more as a work of art than a piece of entertainment. The music she's working with should not be understated, either. If anything, she weaves her voice between arrangements that perfectly match it. Tracks like Big Time Sensuality and Human Behavior lift her voice with groovy riffs, while others, like Venus is a Boy and Come to Me gently nudge you through an alien landscape. This is a phenomenal debut album that will stick in your head.

Otherworldly.

I mean, who doesn't love Human Behaviour and Big Time Sensuality? There's no one quite like Bjork. Sonically this album is amazing, her voice and presence is amazing and it's always a great listen on a high-quality sound system.

Debut by name, great debut by nature. Bjork is fantastically bonkers and her voice is unique. This album is chock full of belters.

I’ve always wondered if I would like Bjork, if I listened to her. I think her reputation had preceded her and I assumed I wouldn’t. I was pleasantly surprised, it’s well produced dance music for the most part, but heartfelt and sincere. A little abstract but good music.

As soon as I hit play on Bjork’s Debut album, I fell in love with “Human Behaviour,” a hit-song in which her adorable, yet mighty voice hovers flawlessly over a hypnotic, war-like rhythm. The way she paints walls of gibberish vocals throughout the track is also vaguely reminiscent of Elizabeth Fraser’s (Cocteau Twins) signature singing style. The rest of the album is mostly dance/techno music that I found to be average aside from “Venus as a Boy” and “Like Someone in Love,” which we’re more memorable, having more gentle, verdant compositions. I also noticed that the stringed instrument at 0:50 of “Venus as a Boy” has some Indian influence in the way it is played, which may be the reason for my attraction to the song. Dance is one of my least favorite art forms. However, dance music–especially songs similar to the ones found on this album–I do not mind every now and then. I went into this album not knowing what to expect and came out wanting to be friends with Bjork.

When a former punk decides to make art pop with light techno influences. In her debut, she's still becoming familiar with electronic arrangements, and so sounds a bit of its time, but these are still beautiful emotional pieces. Most people can either love or hate her voice, and I'm a member of the former. It's expressive, knowing when to be peaceful or eery, matching the background electronic scenery, and in a lot of ways she uses her voice as an instrument just like one of my favorite artists Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. There's a lot of shocking avant-garde choices, some obvious as in "There's More to Life" but others subtle all throughout that make her songs stand out and a bit unpredictable. I don't consider them gimmicks. The beautiful harp of "Like Someone in Love" is something I could listen to over and over, and I don't even like New Age music. Some tracks rely a bit too heavily on the techno, which I believe sets back even the stronger tracks, but unfortunately making some of the weaker tracks like "Big Time Sensuality" or "Violently Happy" somewhat forgettable. But overall, there's something interesting in each of the arrangements to keep me engaged for the full 50 minutes. In comparison to her other albums, this one is the least cohesive and most dated as she still tries to move on from punk into her own sound. They don't flow very well, but with so many interesting picks, it doesn't matter too much for the intentions of this album. Looking at it from the perspective of its time, it's a mind-blowing change of place from the predictable pop and techno scenes. Favorites: Crying, Venus as a Boy, One Day, Aeroplane, Come to Me

Know it. Love it. Nice to listen to it twice yesterday!

The app claims the day to day selection is random and this weekend's two albums validate this as we moved from Ice-T's Original Gangster on Saturday to Björk's Debut on Sunday. I had my 8 year old twins so could spin OG only when they were on another floor. Of course one quietly returned and said "Hey Dad: Why did they say O.G? Those are my initials." My initial response: "You're not an every day type prankster. You're O.G. The original gangster." I then dove to stop the playback before the next "motherfucker" lit up the lyrics. On Sunday, as if the angels made a special delivery, Bjork arrives for my two cherubs and me. Her voice is soothing. Intra-album genre hopping sometimes drives me nuts but on this album it works. I can't say too much about the lyrics since, except when they were simple, they were hard to understand. That actually is a harp on "Like Someone in Love" It's not often that I say "harp" and don't mean harmonica. The tabla playing, courtesy of Talvin Singh in the last minute of Come to Me, is a nice touch. Thanks to 1001 for half the weekend's selections. Enjoying music has a lot to do with what you're in the mood for, so I might have rated Bjork higher than I would next weekend.

Some of the arrangements and music are really great. Very pleasant and daring. Her yodeling gets to me quickly though. Od love to hear someone else sing some of these songs. 2 for her. 5 for the music. 3 for overall listenability

I’m a big fan of the production value, felt very unique at the beginning. I also thought she had a nice voice. My problem is that all of these songs feels so meandering and without any direction. I liked that quality at first but as the album went on it got old fast.

Wtf why is Bjork so Bjorky

This is a lesson in why you shouldn't read the less favourable reviews of an album before diving in. Perhaps becuase we are predisposed to focus on the less positive aspects of, well, everything, it was difficult to shake the thoughts of the most negative reviews while listening to this album. In particular the 2 star Rolling Stones review published by Tom Graves on September 2, 1993. After hinting at the public excitement that Bjork had finally broken free of her too-arty-for-the-art-world band, The Sugarcubes, Graves lamented that, "Producer Nellee Hooper has sabotaged a ferociously iconoclastic talent with a phalanx of cheap electronic gimmickry. Björk’s singular skills cry out for genuine band chemistry, and instead she gets Hooper’s Euro art-school schlock — and we do, too." Despite being a long-time fan of Bjork's work, the phrase "cheap electronic gimmickry" stuck with me, along with the other detailed descriptions given for the somewhat mishmash of ideas on the album. There's still a lot to love about this album, and, MUST you hear before you die? Absolutely... If for no other reason that to get a glimpse into what reviewers might say about many popular albums if you strip away an artists current or potential fame. How many positive reviews are written with a hedging-our-bets mentality so that they are not looked upon too unfavourably when the album they're about to give 2 stars ends up becoming a classic?

This is what I was afraid of- that I would get albums by artists that I really dislike. Bjork's debut was a difficult listen for me her annoying voice gave me a bit of a headache and it seemed to last hours. I listened to it all because well that's the purpose of the generator, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't consider just flat out quitting I gave it ⭐️⭐️ because it's well produced and when she's not screaming/singing the music can be pretty.

BOOOOOOOOO BOOOOOO 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 I HATE U BJORK BOOOOOOOOOOOO UR MUSIC SOUNDS LIKE A WIND CHIME FUCKED A DJ U WILL NEVER GET A REAL REVIEW OUT OF ME UR LIKE YOKO ONO OF THIS GEN

Normally I like weird music, but this doesn't do it for me

I will start off by saying that I do enjoy electronic / experimental / trip hop (Poison Girlfriend & Portishead are some of my favourites.) As long as it's good music — I'll rock with it. Here in lies the problem: Björk's music is genuinely not good. Her over-reliance on digital tool, paired with her mediocre-at-best voice (Björk fans find her jarring vocals "endearing", I do not) makes Björk's albums feel more like an art installation than music intended for enjoyment. In addition, her albums lack cohesion and focus. Unless you're big on avant-garde, I recommend you to skip today's album.

Bjork is as mad as a bag of frogs... but this album is incredibly boring and lack musical talent, its basically just Bjork quirky singing style. Big Time Sensuality is the only track I'd listen to on the album, the rest of it was really not my thing... sooo boring.

Definitely not boring but definitely not for me

Interesting and boring at the same time. Mostly boring

I wanted so badly to like this album, but I just couldn’t get into it. Björk can clearly sing but the songwriting on this is mediocre to bad and the backing tracks sound extremely dated.

Overrated - always has been. A couple of ok moments such as big time sensuality but by and large terrible stuff

i hate you

Sorry to say, but I don't understand how this noise could possibly be enjoyable for someone to listen to.

just NOT for me.

How sad that the ratings don't go below 1

some woman making noise, I wish she would be oh so quiet..

Gorgeous

Ayyyye gimme a pulled Björk sandwich cuz I’m eating this shit up! All bangers. Human Behavior and Big Time Sensuality are my favs. 4.5/5 rating for me. Björk is a genius, she knows how to groove and she knows how to make you question what music can even be. It kinda feels like outsider music but with a crazy understanding of musical structure. BJÖRK BJÖRK BJÖRK BJÖRK BJÖRK

When it was really cold and I had to take the bus to school, I'd listen to this on my walkman. I remember looking out the window at the icy trees and feel like "Venus as a Boy" was the perfect soundtrack. This whole album also was the sound track to some of my first experiments with drugs. Smoking pot, or, rather, bottle toking and then listening to Debut was like entering a magical universe. I'm not one for the Terence McKenna-esque psychedelic trips, but lots of hash and Bjork was my thing, as was dextromethorphan, but maybe I'll wait for another relevant album to tell that story.

I love this album, and I love Bjork, what a wonderful listen.

Björk when she still believed in beats. 🦑

Fantastic, quirky debut.

Bjork at her simplest, yet still very beautiful regardless. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. First time I’ve given Bjork a 5, though Vulnicura would’ve probably gotten the nod had it ended after Track 7. It’s a hell of a solo debut – we haven’t gotten any of her work with The Sugarcubes yet, but I know they’ve got an album on the list. I’ll be really interested to see how different this is when that album comes around, because of all the Bjork albums we’ve gotten so far, this is the most… “normal”. Certainly the most commercially accessible, at the very least. This is a much prettier, nicer, & happier album than either Vulnicura & Medulla – lots of house/club tracks, some lovely vocals throughout that are gliding on some smooth trip-hop / ambience-driven instrumentals, & some great sound design / production throughout to create an atmosphere of Bjork just taking a long trip in the city. It makes for a breezy 48 minutes, and I don’t think there’s a bad track here; maybe a few dull moments spurred on by long outros, but nothing overwhelmingly distracting from how good this tends to be. For 1993, I don’t know how much this was necessarily rocking the boat, but it does feel like the seeds for something bigger for pop music were being planted here. Trip-hop was in full effect, sure, but this feels like the most it’s been sort of commercially blended with pop music’s sensibilities to this point in 1993. It’s also showcasing a variety of styles that could be explored within the soundscape of trip-hop itself. A track like “The Anchor Song” is wildly different from “Like Someone In Love”, & “Like Someone In Love” couldn’t be more different from “There’s More to Life Than This”, but their instrumental bases make them fit like a glove in the full album experience. Bjork’s vocals certainly help – still a little ragged and loose, as they have been on her other albums, but they’re a bit stronger here, used as a complimentary instrument to enhance the instrumentals, as opposed to a primary lead relying on the emotional pull. All the vocal approaches she’s taken so far have been valid, but they clicked really nicely on this one, just because this album feels simpler & more straightforward than the other ones we’ve gotten. The lyricism being streamlined, yet still vivid, also helps a lot; everything feels pretty grounded in terms of how one might deal with a lot of the situations presented on this album, but Bjork’s imagery gives it just enough of a grandiose scale to give each track a gravitas it might not have earned otherwise. I really liked this – Bjork has certainly won me over on account of her ambition, and the earliest pieces of that ambition seem to be rooted here. I wouldn’t say this does anything particularly crazy, but Bjork is radical in just being herself on this album. It’s a welcome style at a point in time musically dominated by the bombastic, larger than life attitude portrayed by a lot of rock/grunge stars, or the pop stars carrying themselves with the poise of an untouchable superstar. Bjork is… just a lady, going around the city, partying at the club, gazing at the stars, and feeling a little lovey-dovey at times. A quaint enough journey, elevated by the gravitas she naturally & effortlessly infuses into each track. It makes for a damn good album, and a 5 for me.

This really works. It can be a bit jarring at first to go from world music to club beats to acoustic, and that might be off putting in lesser albums, but here I kind of settled into it. It feels less like I’m listening to Bjork do a bunch of different styles and more like I’m just following her along through life. Every song painting a scene, every word part of a story or feeling or experience she is sharing with me. Really good stuff.

# Album Name: Debut # Artist: Bjork # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Well, i wasnt sure what to expect out of Bjork if im honest. Turns out i have heard a few of the main tracks before. The style of music wasnt what i was expecting though. Its quite house/dance. I thought she would be a lot more weird. Its got a slight banging vibe to some of the tracks. Quite good. The album opens well. The first three songs are very good. This is genuinely a very good listen. I just had to give it time. I'd probably give this a 4.5. But ill go with a low 5 because ive actually came back to this album multiple times since that first listen. Even though i have rated a 5 i wouldnt class it up there with the best of them. I just really enjoyed this. Fuck me dead, am i a closet Bjork fan?! I think i am. # Top Tunes: Human behaviour / Venus / BT Sensuality / crying / One day / Come to me # Would I listen to it again? Yes

I like it

I fell in love- and then had a rocky relationship with Bjork for many years. It was difficult in later years. My wife forbade me from seeing(listening) to her. Guilty pleasure for many years. But now it’s over. She and I have moved on. She got old and crazy. Maybe she always was. But I can still remember the beginning…..

Essential artist, essential release.

I love Bjork so much and this album really has all the quirks and musical themes she expands upon in later albums. I want her to dj at my birthday, wedding, and funeral.

I've loved her since the Sugar Cubes. Bjork is one of one. Huma Behavior is so freaking good and the album just oes from there...

Grew up with this album, absolute masterpiece.

Exquisite

Loved every minute of it

As fantastic as this album is, it really is just a tiny foreshadowing of Bjork as a solo artist. She has that distinct voice and range, and Debut features it well. Her arc as a solo artist just kept going further and further into new territory, and this is her first step outside a group, doing her own thing. Brilliant Debut, brilliant career.

Tak właśnie powinno się debiutować. Ta płyta ma własną tożsamość, jest określona, odważna, niesamowicie oryginalna. Bjork ma głos anioła i diabelski talent. Czasami jak dla mnie jest zbyt elektronicznie, nie jest to płyta do słuchania dzień w dzień, ale i tak ją kocham, mimo że jest to miłość trudna, bo ten gatunek nie jest w moim typie. Jaki trzeba mieć talent, aby zmusić mnie do pokochania elektroniki? 9/10

I can’t believe that I find myself leaving a five star review for a Björk album. This is what the generator is all about!

Exceptional album

Flawless album by a beautiful Icelandic goddess!

Hits you like a ton of bricks

This is an amazing example of why I love to listen to albums. Good ones take you on a journey and are almost like a movie. This one does it really well. It’s nothing you should listen to in the background. It’s an album that deserves your full attention.

This really is a phenomenal culturally important album. I am embarrassed that i have never owned a copy in any format yet I know it so well. It is full of elements of jazz, hip hop, electronic and straightforward indie. Some incredible standout tracks. I do need to own a copy of this album. It received 5 stars just by looking at the tracklisting. Big Time Sensuality is such an amazing song

Increasingly convinced. Weird production, I get the experience of joining bjork in a cubicle. What’s not to like