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Vulnicura

Björk

2015

Vulnicura
Album Summary

Vulnicura is the eighth studio album by Icelandic musician and singer Björk. It was produced by Björk, Arca and The Haxan Cloak, and released on 20 January 2015 by One Little Indian Records. Björk said the album expresses her feelings before and after her breakup with American contemporary artist Matthew Barney and the healing process. Vulnicura was originally scheduled for release in March 2015, in conjunction with the Björk: Archives book and an exhibition about Björk's career at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City; following an internet leak, it was released digitally two months early. No singles were released to promote the album but a series of innovative music videos were created, culminating in the 360-degree virtual reality exhibit Björk Digital. Vulnicura received widespread acclaim from critics, with many considering it one of her most honest and personal albums as well as her best output in a decade. The companion album Vulnicura Strings was released on 6 November 2015. It features strings-only interpretations of the Vulnicura tracks and utilises an instrument designed by Leonardo da Vinci called the viola organista. By October 2015, the album had sold 250,000 copies worldwide./nVulnicura was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87, based on 40 reviews. Many critics have referred to it as her best work in the last decade and the boldest move after 2011's Biophilia. It has also been compared stylistically to her critically acclaimed albums Homogenic and Vespertine. Praise has centered around the "emotional honesty and musical daring" used to portray the album's deeply personal themes. The lyrics have been described as some of her "strongest and most moving" and Björk's voice "miraculously expressive". On the less positive side, longtime music critic Robert Christgau claimed, "I always thought she was too lifelike for him anyway." He cited "Stonemilker" and "Atom Dance" as standout tracks.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.85

Votes

2215
Genres
Pop
Electronica

Reviews

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Wed May 24 2023
5

j’écoute Björk en rentrant chez moi avec un kebab délicieux dans mon sac à main girl i am LIVING

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Fri Jun 30 2023
5

Poor Bjork, just want to give her a cuddle and a cup of tea.

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Sun May 07 2023
1

cannot be arsed with byork at all. i get the vibe that anyone who is in to bjork is so far up their own arse that they've become a mobius loop. actually quite impressive.

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Mon Aug 21 2023
5

I love Björk, even her weird stuff is brilliant. I reckon anything she does will get 5 🌟 from me. The world is a better place because Björk exists.

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Fri Jun 02 2023
1

Album by Bjork in the pretty specific style of Bjork. It might be a hit or miss at times, but oh boy, it was a massive miss on the occasion of Vulnicura. Maybe my musical taste is down in the gutter, but I just couldn't listen to it at all. I'm sorry Bjork, you are a better actor than musician.

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Thu May 11 2023
5

It's hard to deescribe the inteeresting musicality of Bjork. It was well worth the listen whatever the hell it was

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Wed May 31 2023
5

Great album, love the instrumentals and the vocals.

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Wed May 31 2023
5

The second Bjork I listened to on this list and another one that's blowing me away. But where Vespertine is about the beautiful sides of love, this Vulnicura is about heartache. So dark and melancholic instead of romantic and tender, but just as mystical, intimate and strong. And it's the lyrics on this album that make it complete. We follow and listen to the story of a relationship that's failing. Björk is taking us from the months before the break-up to the times after. And some of the lyrics felt like a gutpunch, where the music is amazingly orchestrated around the parts of the decaying love in every song, whether we go from melancholy to pain to anger to relief. If I regret us I'm denying my soul to grow Don't remove my pain It is my chance to heal We carry the same wounds But have different cures The album grows and shows more with every listen. What a discovery.

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Fri Jul 14 2023
5

Had to listen to this a few times to make my mind up on the rating I had only heard notget before going into this but yeah I still love Björk if my mood was aligned I would like it even more but its still amazing

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Fri Jul 14 2023
5

This gave me so many chills. Literally made me forget to breathe once, haven't experienced this in a long time. Wanted to pick favorite songs at first, but after another listen I can't, they're all amazing.

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Tue Aug 01 2023
5

I listened twice, i think it might be her best. Not everyone’s cup of tea of course.

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Sun Sep 10 2023
5

Voce straordinaria, melodie straordinarie, 1 ora volata 5/5

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Thu Sep 14 2023
5

My last Bjork album (I think Post should be on the list too but what do I know) and this is a difficult one but it's about a difficult time in her life.

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Thu Apr 27 2023
4

Björk is another universe. Ideal music to sit back , relax and listen. Comes the closest to whale songs and represents, i guess the wide landscapes of Iceland ( never been there). Nice album.

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Sun May 07 2023
4

This record makes my knees tremble. I wanked so hard that my helmet came off.

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Wed May 17 2023
4

Whoa do I like Bjork? Kind of! Yes!

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Thu May 25 2023
4

Pas certain si je n'ai pas aimé ca ou non. c'est tellement speciale. C'est original et ca change de la musique traditionnelle. 4

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Fri Jun 02 2023
4

Lionsong is cool. Bjork songs are so hit or miss to me, always these huge swings and their either connect hard or miss the mark. Atom Dance is cool.

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Fri Jun 02 2023
4

Interesting, as björk often is

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Thu Jun 22 2023
4

So, it turns out I'm a Bjork fan

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Fri Jun 30 2023
4

Standard Bjork, the great bits are phenomenal but then somehow loses me.

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Thu Jul 06 2023
4

I remember the hype this album received when it was due to come out: "this is Björk's breakup album", "this is her most personal album ever", yada yada yada. And while most breakup albums become tedious, maudlin and vapid at times, Björk always finds a way to make things interesting. It's as though you're right in front of her as she belts out about the pain experienced in her family falling apart and you have next to no choice but to immerse yourself in her sadness that's aided by her ever reliable collaborative spirit that combines orchestration and electronics. Overall, not an easy listen but one can hope that things turn out for the best. Favorites: Stonemilker, History of Touches, Black Lake, Notget, Atom Dance, Quicksand.

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Fri Jul 07 2023
4

This is a rather beautiful album. I can't go 5 because it's really iis an album that you have to be in the mood to hear. A solid 4 for sure.

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Sun Jul 23 2023
4

Very enjoyable, which was surprising to me.

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Mon Jul 24 2023
4

Maybe too intellectual for me, but compelling

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Fri Jul 28 2023
4

I have always liked.this album ever since it released. I never reach out to it much because Björk is not an artist I really keep track of. It was fun having another go at this album. The funny part about this album is, is that I like it a lot but I can't put my finger on it why though.

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Sun Jul 30 2023
4

The most chamber-y of her works, intense and dark and lovely. And it’s unlike every other break-up record, if that’s what it is, one has ever heard, having more in common with, say, Arvo Part, than, say, Gwen Stefani. It's sad and affecting and one might spend more time with the lyrics, but lacks motivation to do that. Bjork is fully sui generis but can also be fairly charged with being self-indulgent and excessively arty (e.g., over-engineering the originality to the exclusion of many other likable qualities). It might still be a toss-up with Sigur Ros if one were forced to choose only one Icelandic artist for the balance of all time.

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Fri Aug 11 2023
4

The luscious arrangements and Björk’s heartbreakingly personal subject matter make this definitively her best record.

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Mon Aug 14 2023
4

This is probably my least favorite of the Bjork albums that I've gotten on this list. However, the other Bjork albums I got were absolute bangers, and this album is really good, so feel free to keep feeding me the worst Bjork albums that you have 4/5

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Mon Aug 14 2023
4

In collaboration with Arca, Bjork makes a highly atmospheric record that uses both bright baroque and dark heavy synths to create a strong electronica record. An emotionally powered piece, the choice of electronica to manipulate or duplicate her voice uses the advantage of her voice as an impressionistic instrument to express her emotions by texture. First half is ethereal and powerful, her usual glitch pop song structure. Second half becomes a lot more chaotic and horrifying, with harsher glitches and industrial sound effects. Features some techno dance tracks. All tracks are good, with moments almost as memorable and powerful as Vespertine.

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Thu Aug 17 2023
4

I love Bjork and her weird vagina outfit and her weird jellyfish hat and her weird swan dress and her weird music

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Fri Sep 01 2023
4

Björk has been an artist I've know that I needed to actually listen to more, glad this popped up. A very unique sound that I dug quite a bit and the arraignments were gorgeous. 4/5

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Mon Sep 11 2023
4

Me gusta el concepto que maneja, la voz y la interpretación es angelical y simplemente espectacular, es un álbum escuchable para cierto tipo de momentos.

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Wed Sep 20 2023
4

Many weird and wondrous songs.

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Thu Apr 27 2023
3

I don’t think I’ll ever get bjork but this one was interesting at least

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Sun Apr 30 2023
3

This sounds like an "important" artistic album with its string arrangements and choir. I guess if I hadn't if I hadn't been listening to Björk all the way back to the Sugar Cubes I would find it more compelling. The strings, synths & sound effects create lovely ambient textures but the melodies are less appealing - and then there's her voice, which is tiring after an entire album.

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Wed May 03 2023
3

Vulnicura is the ninth album by Icelandic musician and singer Björk. This electronic, ambient, avant-garde album is composed of string arrangements backed with electronic beats. It was a healing album for Björk, produced after a breakup she went through. Unfortunately, the album was leaked online a couple months before release so the label decided to digitally release the album a couple days after the leak. There is also a sister album to this one simply called Vulnicura Strings, that has 8 of the 9 tracks without the electronic beats so the focus is just on the string arrangements. This critically acclaimed album is seen as Björk's best work in the last decade. It truly is a work of art that delves into the raw, heartfelt personal feelings of someone moving on after a breakup. Björk's beautiful vocals are as splendid as ever on this album, and the music will sweep you off your feet. Vulnicura is a fantastic album!

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Fri May 05 2023
3

ну это на удивление приятнее чем первый альбом Шугаркьюбз (который мне альбомы поставили). всё ещё не моё, но музыкальность красивая

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Mon May 08 2023
3

This really shocked me. It's Björk over strings, and she mostly decided not to use her faerie voice, so it's actually pleasant at times. Still the best parts were the ones where she stepped aside and let the musicians do their work. Best track: Stonemilker

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Tue May 09 2023
3

Je déteste habituellement tout ce que nous propose Björk et celle-ci le sait très bien. Néanmoins, je dois dire qu'elle a su me faire rentrer dans son album malgré mes réticences, notamment en m'attrapant les pieds et en me traînant sur une cinquantaine de mètres alors que je me débattais de toutes mes forces.

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Sun May 14 2023
3

Beetje veel van hetzelfde. Ik hou enorm van haar stemgeluid, maar er waren geen nummers die er echt uitsprongen. 1 groot zweverig landschap. Prima om aan te horen maar niet heel spannend.

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Thu May 18 2023
3

This is exactly what I'd expect of a Björk album

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Wed May 24 2023
3

hvalsang og øde landskap. Det funker, men det er ikke zen

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Thu May 25 2023
3

Even though it’s usually something I would never listen to again, I always have to admire bjorks albums. They’re just so different and unique that it’s hard to shit on them even if you don’t personally love the music; I wanted to keep listening to this album even though I wasn’t thoroughly enjoying it just to hear what she was gonna do on the next song. She’s obviously very talented and is willing to work in every genre of music using her own style. This one was very orchestral and notget was the main song that stuck out to me. I’m excited to get some of her classic 90s stuff.

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Tue May 30 2023
3

J'ai aimé, mais j'écoutais d'une oreille distraite. J'ai pas autant aimé que Debut, j'ai trouvé cet album plus drabe. Il faudrait que je réécoute pour me faire une meilleure idée. 6/10

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Wed May 31 2023
3

3.6 - It took a few attempts to get into this record to uncover its charms. I finally had to break out my good headphones and give it a close listen. So I'd say this is definitely a challenging record and not an instant homerun for me. At times I wish she incorporated some of the glitchy percussions more sparingly, especially on songs like "Mouth Mantra." And her lyrics often sound too conversational, as if we're overhearing a conversation with a therapist. But the orchestral arrangements are consistently breathtaking throughout. Standouts: "Lionsong", "Black Lake", "Family."

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Fri Jun 02 2023
3

I've been listening to Bjork a bit more lately but I haven't worked my way up to this one just yet. Listened once and it's very nice. I look forward to listening more.

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Sun Jun 04 2023
3

now that is an interesting album. I get why people hype Björk so much but it's nothing for me. It's really good and artistic, I'm just not a huge fan of the sound. But I don't get why it's rated 2.85/5 here, that is too low. So if you read this give her a star more or so. For me it's still only a 6/10 (3/5)

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Tue Jun 06 2023
3

Unlike the 2 other Bjork albums I got, this one didn't speak to me. It just more of a slog compared to the other two.

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Thu Jun 22 2023
3

Interesting; good background music for work.

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Thu Jun 22 2023
3

Typisch Björk, maar met extra strijkers.

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Thu Jun 22 2023
3

Well bjork being bjork I guess

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Fri Jun 23 2023
3

She’s so odd and so easy to love and the songs are impossible to sing along with! Stonemilker is crazy beautiful. I felt like I was in a trans listening to it. The video is interesting as well. Black Lake is such a slow burn…it starts pauses, starts again pauses again start again…building tension…starts again. Something so wonderful about the pace of this song. It builds up and just when you think it’s going to take off….it comes back down to the ground and builds up again. What a journey. Favorite tracks: Stonemilker, Black Lake Others: Notget, Quicksand

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Mon Jun 26 2023
3

Intriguing. Very personal lyrics set over cold calculated electronica music. I loved the first track. The rest, not so much.

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Wed Jun 28 2023
3

I think I like the idea of Bjork more than I like her, its fine, but mostly washed over me

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Sat Jul 01 2023
3

Pop muy caracterizado por la voz de la cantante. Tranquilo de escuchar y, aparte de buena voz, nada más destacable

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Sun Jul 02 2023
3

5/10. Meh, maybe I could have enjoyed this more if I'd been in the mood for Bjork. It's certainly not bad, and it has a certain sweeping melodrama that I appreciated, but it wasn't a ton of fun to listen to for me.

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Fri Jul 14 2023
3

It's a solid Bjork album. Feels very similar to older stuff. Nothing about made me feel like this deserved to be here more than Debut or Post but maybe I need to give it another listen

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Sun Jul 16 2023
3

Interesting experience.I like the orchestral sound.Bjorks vocals are beautiful as always.Really weird and avant Garde.Could Never imagine myself playing one of these songs ever again for enjoyment.not that they’re bad.they’re just not really good as individual songs.Cool experience as an album though.

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Fri Jul 21 2023
3

So weird in all the right ways, stricking albeit strange album. Would listen to again!

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Wed Aug 02 2023
3

a very bizarre breakup fever dream that overstays its welcome but has some interesting ideas. overall feels a little muddled. 2.5/5

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Wed Aug 02 2023
3

I don't mind bjork but this was just a little bit much for me

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Thu Aug 03 2023
3

Great innovation and percussion, but the melody is frustratingly absent

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Mon Aug 14 2023
3

Decent. Not really my vibe though.

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Thu Aug 24 2023
3

Surprisingly accessible given her other efforts, but maybe that’s just my fatigue from the last round of singles being played constantly at the station. I will give credit to Björk for carving a niche that is unmistakably her own - while hard to nail down, the instrumentation and arrangements she builds on would be recognizable immediately in any context. This LP definitely suffers due to tracks running longer than the ideas that fuel them remain interesting, but for such an out-there album I found myself jamming along decently well. Given the fatigue that comes with listening to 1001 albums (some seemingly identical to one another in their blandness), I appreciate any artist who doesn’t give two fucks about respecting Western arrangements or ideas of what music should be, even if the execution is not always my thing or their name sounds like a lamp from IKEA.

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Thu Aug 24 2023
3

Очень необычная медленная музыка. Это было необычное путешествие, но для меня слишком медленно и вычурно. Может быть, впечатление улучшил бы текст, который о расставании и восстановлении, но мне сложно распознавать английский в песнях, да ещё и в таких непоследовательным песнях. Так что просто окч но переслушивать я бы не стал.

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Sat Sep 02 2023
3

Tolerable but I still don't care about it

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Sat Sep 02 2023
3

Too much Bjork on this list. Interesting artist but I just can’t listen to this drag on.

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Thu Sep 14 2023
3

This is our third Björk album. The two other ones got 5 and 3 stars respectively. Vulnicura is definitely more on the side of the previous 3-star album with the same criticism: jarring, dissonant weirdness distracting too much from a good voice and interesting ideas.

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Thu Sep 21 2023
3

Bjork being Bjork, Vulnicura contains all the hallmarks that make Bjork. The ethereal sounds, her dreamy quality, you can't replecate elsewhere. I can't say that this album is any better than her previous ones, but still a solid effort even if it feels more drawn out, yet not as captivating as her debut. Best: Lionsong Worst: Black Lake

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Fri Sep 22 2023
3

Kind of indifferent to this one here. Bjork seems so sweet and likable and has an impressive voice, and I could listen to “Army of Me” on repeat. But whenever I’ve delved into the albums, I kind of find myself admittedly looking for a chorus that repeats itself just once so that I can feel better about being able to tell one song from the next. But it never happens! Things are pretty and pretty weird and I just know that if she lets me in we’ll be friends! (Annnd she just locked the door in my face.) As is, the music sort of just washes over me and keeps me at a distance. I give Von Trier credit; it for sure feels like Bjork’s in her own musical at times. That was a good call to take her and put that in a movie. But if I were directing this album, there’d be more payoff to go with all the set up. That said, “History of Touches,” “Quicksand” and “Stonemilker” were all interesting. Hell, it’s all interesting. I just wish it were more than that.

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Wed Apr 26 2023
2

I don’t mind Bjerknes but having listened once, that was enough for me. It was different, as you’d expect, but not for me. 2*

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Sat Apr 29 2023
2

Paranoias de Björk. No me ha gustado mucho. Un 2.

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Sun Apr 30 2023
2

Bjork is one of those artists that I respect more than I actually like. I really appreciate her bravery in pushing artistic boundaries and her no-compromise approach to music making, but I can't honestly say I love her music. Bjork's music is often compared to Kate Bush, who has some really "out there" songs too, but in contrast I absolutely love all of Kate's material. I must admit the strings on he first song, Stonemilker are lovely though. But although this album is superbly produced and written, it doesn't resonate with me so I'll only give it two stars because I'm being honest with myself.

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Thu May 04 2023
2

Just because it's weird doesn't make it good. I'm not sure if this is intended to be unenjoyable to listen to...

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Tue May 09 2023
2

Cette fois c'est trop, mon camarade d'écoute robpelletière avait raison depuis le début: Björk c'est nul

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Sun May 14 2023
2

Ik heb het uitgeluisterd, maar ik kon er maar weinig vis van maken

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Sun May 14 2023
2

Het lijkt alsof Bjork niet weet hoe ze een einde aan gezongen zinnetje moet breien. Alles lijkt maar soort van over te gaan in de volgende en daar word ik altijd helemaal gek van.

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Wed May 24 2023
2

Im clearly not sophisticated enough for Bjork

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Wed Jun 21 2023
2

This isn't music. It's art. And while I respect the art and the artist. It really isn't for me.

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Thu Jun 22 2023
2

Tyypillistä Björk-sekoilua. Tiesin mitä odottaa

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Thu Jun 22 2023
2

Paskaa ja kolkuttelee kuninkuusluokan portteja. PASKAA!

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