Vulnicura

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

Bjork has always passed me by - I recognise how talented and individual she is but nothing has ever reached me emotionally. It's sad to see though how poorly she has done with spurious 1/5 votes being handed out left, right and centre. For that reason I'm giving her 5/5 in an attempt to partially redress the balance.

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.

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.

While I can appreciate Björk as an artist, I can't say this album did much for me. A few of the songs were interesting, but it felt like it belonged more as background music for a film or something - not great listening on its own. I ended up skipping the last two songs because they were just a little grating.

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

Whoa... It has the experimentation and weirdness that I've come to expect from a Björk album, but it's not quite as weird as Medúlla (The one other Björk record the generator has given me so far). There's a recognisable structure here for the most part. I loved this. It's a cinematic, emotional blend of orchestral and electronic elements, making one hell of a breakup album. I'm such a sucker for good electronic sound design, and this proved itself to be absolutely amazing in the sound design department, especially going into the second half of the album. I'd imagine much of that is from Arca's involvement? I'm certainly going to have to look more into her work. Honestly, I think I'm really going to have to look more into Björk too. I'd imagine the generator will give me more of her work before it's done, but I'm really loving everything I've heard so far. Favourite: Notget

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.

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

A stunning achievement - you get the sense we are hearing exactly what the artist wanted us to - a mix of digital and classical, enhanced by Bjork's incredible voice - soundscapes foreboding and consuming the listener as we are absorbed into Bjork's warped world. A work of art.

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

This was torture.

Björk's divorce album. Incredibly somber and intricate. Every sound, vocalization, timing is purposeful. More than just a mere breakup album, Bjork examines the more complex emotions surrounding divorce. Overwhelming grief and betrayal surrounds each song like a whirlwind. Goosebumps just experiencing this for the first time. How is she able to create such incredible works of art like this? Does the depths of her creative talent know no end? For all the Björk albums on this list, it gets hard to argue each one. Maybe Medúlla could've been cut, but having such a recent release be so impactful is such an impressive feat. Vulnicura earns it's spot easily.

Another great Bjork album, and I almost like it just as much as Homogenic. Initially was on the fence as there are some songs that were hard to get into. This still holds to some extent, but other tracks like Stonemilker, Lionsong and Blake Lake are exceptionally strong and compensate for a 5-star rating.

For some reason, I lost track of Bjork's endeavours after Vespertine, but I'm glad we got this one to check out. The sweeping production has echoes of Homogenic, which I like very much, and the songs are all engaging. Terrific album.

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.

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

The first song starts out with the following lyrics, choked out syllable by syllable, over seemingly random meandering synthesizer strings: “A juxtapositioning fate / Find our mutual coordinates / Moments of clarity are so rare / I better document this / at last the view is fierce / all that matters is this / who is open chested / and who is coagulated” I’m just not sure how I can take that seriously. This is the second Bork album I’ve received in the 1st 75 days. I rated the 1st at 2/5, with the comments “I thought the first couple of songs were pretty good. Sort of an ambient, ethereal feel. But with each passing song it held my interest less and less. Just not really my ‘thing’. 2/5….” Well, the second album jumps straight into the bit about each song holding my interest less and less. This doesn’t offend me, I don’t hate it. But I sure don’t like it either. As with the prior Bork album, it’s just not my thing. I’m bored by this, and that’s disappointing. Frankly, as I get further through this, it’s starting to kind of irritate me. I’m taking a break at about 1/2 way through, but I’m not expecting it to improve…. - - - - It didn’t. I admit, I gave up somewhere in the middle of the 7th song. I guess I’m just not cool enough. 1/5

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.

my first björk outside of her iconic 90s trilogy of albums. stunning.

I know Bjork rubs a lot of people the wrong way but if you look past the perceived "weirdness" of her style, she really is a brilliant artist. 'Vulnicura' may be her most mature release to date. In her early punk and electronic releases, she was recording in toilets at clubs. Since then she's grown and explored classical structures, world music and the avant garde and brought all of that experience into this release. This is a break up album unlike any you've heard before, particularly notable as it comes from an older woman, rather than the likes of Taylor Swift. In some ways it's a shame that this challenge doesn't have more of Bjork's early work, which is more fun to listen to. But this is definitely an impressive work of art.

The vagina on her chest represents the gaping hole where her heart once existed. A fitting image for an album tackling multiple layers of emotional loss, gleaning from the experience, and moving forward. Having an idea of what to expect, I still was very surprised by this album's depth which does not fully reveal itself requiring the listener to take some time and peel it apart. Vulnicura is definitely a slow burn that works very well as a whole to the point where I couldn't tell you which song would be my favorite as all of it is excellent. I was most impressed by the arrangement of strings and synth in which Björk seemingly conjures and bends to her will, while managing to be relatable, conversational, and yet very alien. I would seriously like to know how some of these songs look on paper, how they were conceived and measured out. In all, I want to embrace the poor woman but stand in fear that she would devour me like a terrifying monster.

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.

La fée dans la forêt

Devastating

This is possibly the most unoriginal take but Björk has such a beautiful and unique voice that mixed with the intense music is spectacular. I need to be in the right mood for it but when I am it hits perfectly.

Another Bjork album that has some super interesting and beautiful moments but a bunch of parts that are a little too out there for me to truly love it. Think this one is on par with vespertine and a little better than medulla and debut, but not quite good enough for a 5

Wildly interesting and very complex. I do like a bit of Drum and Bjass. Njot bjad

Vulnicura I don’t think I’ve ever actually listened to a Björk album before. Which is strange as she makes the kind of music I like, but I think it’s probably a product of my teenage brain not understanding her back in the 90s and then never really getting round to trying any of her albums. I’m not sure if this is the best album to start with, but I thought it was great, getting better each time. It’s hard not to use words like icy and glacial to describe the music, as it’s probably too on the nose for someone from Iceland, but the detached coolness of the music; the strings, the synths, the discordant fractured rhythms and percussion against the very personal and expressive lyrics is a great combination. It’s kind of moving, chilly, distant and uplifting at the same time. It feels a grower, its not immediately melodic, but the tunes do start to burrow into your brain through the textures, and it probably works best as whole piece rather than individual tracks, as the more austere and crawling first half evolves into the spikier and more rhythmic second half, with some more melodic string parts. I think it needs to sit a little longer, and I’m keen to give it some more listens with some space in between but it’s a solid 4 for now. 🇮🇸 🇮🇸 🇮🇸 🇮🇸 Playlist submission: Atom Dance

It's Bjork, never know what your going to get. Liked not loved it

Near paralyzingly brooding, but I feel like it had a hair too much bloat to earn a 5th star. But hey, Bjork really knows how to get you thinking no matter what.

Well I braced myself for yet another Björk album but thankfully it was one of the good ones. With Björk it has been either good or terrible - you don’t know if you’re going to get food or an uppercut to the chin. This one is actually one of the better better ones - cinematic - almost conventional - and a semblance of recognisable structure - so I actually enjoyed it. It’s still Björk mind you - unmistakable - but if one can tolerate her - one would like this one - and actually find reason to return to it.

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.

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.

So, it turns out I'm a Bjork fan

8/9

Interesting, as björk often is

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.

I mean, it's Björk so it's going to sound different. Parts are interesting, parts sound like they should be on a movie soundtrack, parts sound experimental, parts are annoying bordering on unlistenable, it's a Björk album. Another not really bad yet not really good album on this list.

If you gaze long enough into the Bjork, the Bjork gazes also into you.

Fine enough I guess. But unless there are four (4??) Björk albums in this list, this should’ve been “Post” instead. It’s significantly more important to her sound imo, and is just a better album/listening experience. Listen to “Post”, please.

As the album continued, I enjoyed it more and more. Definitely a 'moods' album (not sure if 'moods' needed quotations, but I'm leaving them there anyways).

This really started off like I was really going to like it. First 3 (and maybe 4 songs) had me invested. Then it kinda just went a little too hard off the deep end and being artsy. Had a Radiohead feeling in some of the tracks. 3/5. I’d say I liked this more Stylistically then I did song wise

Tough one to rate. I liked this a lot better than Medúlla, which is admittedly a low bar. This one has some good hooks and interesting orchestral parts. I might actually like it under the right circumstances. Weirdly reminded me of the Hollow Knight soundtrack (which I loved). Unfortunately, this isn’t universal throughout. Not sure what “Family” or “Notget” were. I do think it was intentionally uncomfortable though, even though some of it id just weird for weirdness’ sake. I’ll give Björk this, though: one thing she definitely isn’t is boring.

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.

not really interesting to me. not unpleasant to listen to but i didn't feel much with this one. sorry björk i still love you

Böring.

Man orkar med några låtar men sen blir det för ostrukturerat.

I like the versatility and vulnerability of her voice, but I don't understand her music.

As tedious as it is to have Bjork on this list so many times the one quality of her work is the string arrangements. Otherwise, please stop.

I have no idea why she's on the list so many times.

There's a certain type of guy who is attracted to Björk. They're invariably weird nerds who obsess over left of centre garbage and pretend that mainstream beauty is actually ugly. I don't think it's any surprise that there are like 5 Björk albums here, because music journalists are definitely THAT KINDA GUY. This album was more of the same Björk nonsense. Odd electronica with Björk ignoring accepted English syllable stress patterns over the top. Hopefully this is the last of her here. Surely. 1/5.

Too many Bjorrrrk albums on herrrre. This isn't one of the betterrrrr ones. 🏴‍☠️

This album really is something. Björk if nothing else is certainly an ephemeral transcriber of difficult, raw, and indescribable emotions on this soul-searing existential breakup album. I think her goal was to essentially turn herself inside out and let the art do the work of working through and healing the real. This album says a lot about identity and grief, and you may not be who you thought you were without that same loving relationship you've had for years. You might not be a person, but a frightening creature now. The sounds on this thing range anywhere from graceful, somewhat gentle and somber, to absolute stress, terror and emotional urgency. Horrifying leads and phrases. Absolutely otherworldly and intense, how could It not be? Beyond raw, beyond real, in the rarely explored territory of hyper-real analysis of emotion and intention.

Intanto shoutout alla copertina di questo album, a mio parere una delle più belle che Bjork abbia mai creato. Anche il nome…stupendo. E l’album in sé è fantasticamente struggente, specie quando lo ascolti con in mente l’amore e l’affetto che traspaiono da Vespertine, album a cui è gemellato. Black Lake, Family e Notget sono eccezionali, l’album sebbene lungo e denso secondo me scorre bene (a parte Lionsong che detesto). Non voglio dilungarmi troppo, si sappia che mi piace molto

This is a beautiful album with interesting, spacey string arrangements. Somewhat "back to normal" for Bjork after some pretty strange sounding albums before this one. I use strange to mean awesome. This one is a more somber album. Cool production here. All of her albums are a 5 to me. She is truly one of a kind. Three favorites are Lionsong, Family, and Notget.

I think the first Björk album I heard was Fossora, and I really disliked it. I remember thinking to myself that so many people love Björk, and I didn’t understand why. Since then, I’ve listened to more of her albums and found myself enjoying things more and more. This album is one of the more recent ones (2015 was only like two years ago, right?), so I was a little apprehensive, but I really did enjoy this. The orchestration of it all just comes together beautifully, and the vocals amplify how nice it all sounds. I still think Debut is my favourite, but may be a close second.

Siempre me golpeó la música de Bjork e Islandia que viene a ser otro planeta, pero de aquellos enigmáticos vientos. Musicalmente es un reto constante y misterioso.

Very good. Will be giving her entire catalog a listen soon.

Björk/Matthew Barney divorce album. So good.

Ah, my final Björk album, and also my final album from 2015. The three Björk albums I’ve reviewed so far have run a pretty wide gamut. Medúlla was 2 stars, Debut was 3 stars, and Vespertine was 4 stars. I think that Björk makes some incredibly unique music, but it doesn’t always land with me. I have no idea what to expect on this album, but I’m excited to see what it has in store! I thought Vulnicura was really great, and easily the best Björk album that I’ve gotten to review. I loved that the sound was really consistent and cohesive throughout the album. Having the string arrangements as the dominant sound on this album worked really well. Björk knows how to create strange and beautiful arrangements, and in my opinion, the music on this album is her most accessible work that I’ve listened to. I really loved that the album was thematically tied to a breakup that she went through, and there was such a wide variety of emotions that Björk explored over the course of these songs. I didn’t really have a favorite song on this album. Granted, I didn’t really take a lot of notes as I listened to it, but one of the few things I wrote down about an individual song was that I liked the lightness of the strings in contrast to the deep bass and percussion on “Stonemilker.” I’d normally go back through an album to snag some more notes on individual songs, but with this album’s length, and the length of the individual songs, I’ll have to pass on that this time around. Even though I don’t have a ton of notes on this album, I’m giving it five stars because I think it really stuck the landing from its bold vision. While this album isn’t the sort of thing I’d actively listen to again, I thought it was incredibly beautiful, and full of rich, meaningful songwriting. What a way to wrap up Björk’s albums on this list!

Stonemaker, the strings are gorgeous. The drums feel very nostalgic to me, this is the 2010s tbf. The melody is simple but rythem is everything. When it opens all opens up when she says “Show me emotional respect” it really feels like she’s asking as kindly as she can. “Like milking a stone, To get you to say it” I feel this very deeply. It’s such frustration and yearning mixed together. And this soundscape captures that. “A juxtapositioning fate, Find our mutual coordinates” it won’t be easy to get there but if they do it will mean unison. Ends how it began with beautiful strings. This did not feel 6 minutes long at all. Lionsong, woah the harmony work is so crazy, very cool. Somewhat uneasy. Strings again. A stronger drum beat. “This wild lion doesn’t fit in this chair, Maybe he will come out of this loving me” then morphs into “These abstract complex feelings, I just don’t know how to handle them”. There’s no need for a metaphor when you understand what is happening. I’m assuming this is about the same relationship in the first song. She really uses rhythm as her melody?? if that makes sense. She really follows her story. Ends by saying “Somehow i’m not too bothered, I’d just like to know.” Fatigue for the situation has set in. You can feel that with the strings they’re strong but somber. History Of Touches, a synth to begin with and just her voice. “I wake you up, In the middle of the night, To express my love for you”. This is deffo about sex. “Every single fuck” confirmed my hypothesis. This does feel intimate and close. It’s just her and a wall of synths really. It’s very interesting. There’s sadness too, it’s the last time. Black Lake, this feels very sad. The strings. “Our love was my womb but our bond has broken”. Is this about falling out of love with the father of her child?? :( The drums sound like a heart beat. wow all of the lyrics are truly heartbreaking, and the vocal performance is simple and raw. “You fear my limitless emotions, I am bored of your apocalyptic obsessions” two very different people have finally come to the end of their commonalities. “Did I love you too much?Devotion bent me broken”, wondering if you pushed them away with intensity. The music begins to speed up, still sounding like a pounding heart from the drums, the intense strings could be a panic attack. Then it settles as she says “I did it for love, I honoured my feelings” feeling safe again that this was not her fault. Again it begins to speed up, the melody becomes higher and more chest focused when she says “Family was out sacred mutual mission, Which you abandoned”. There’s a lot of space almost hinting the need for a response from him. The production come together again for her to finish by saying “Returning home”. This is a haunting masterpiece. Again somehow did not feel 8 minutes! Family, the drums are demanding. She’s in pain for sure. This is a heavy album. “No triangle of love, So where do i go” Feeling incomplete after the break down of a relationship. There’s so much space in the production, close harmony and call and response. Echos, making it feel like she’s in a void. “To mourn our miraculous triangle, Father, mother, child”. A complete change happens to staccato strings. She’s mad but also trying to “build a safe bridge for the child” out of this trauma :(. It ends with her saying “this location of solutions” she has to carry on through the pain. Notget, this feels more upbeat but still tense. Then she says “Once you fell out of love, Our love couldn’t carry you, And I didn’t even notice, For our love kept me safe from death”. She is shattered by it. “If i regret us, Im denying my soul to grow”. The drums are carrying her along to heal through it. It’s horrible but it has happened. She’s fighting on. There’s a synth that is incredible, gives some light. She is singing very openly in her chest voice, reaching high in her range. It’s haunting and hopeful. “Love will keep us safe from death” is a beautiful sentiment, delivered in a painful way. Atom Dance, this features ANOHNI. “None is a lover alone, I propose an atom dance.” This feels lighter, she has realised that “love is the ocean we crave” and she is not alone. It feels like an alien waltz. “Enter the pain and dance with me” she welcomes all of us with broken hearts to join her to heal :,). What a little fairy nymph she is. “Atoms are laughing at last”. Mouth Mantra, I think this is a song about being silenced. Within her creativity and her voice within her relationship. Again it’s very airy. Strings adding tension. A consistent drum. Echos and lots of synths. “This tunnel has enabled, thousands of sounds”. Her voice mixed with the void she is moving through. Ends very cinematically. The final song, Quicksand. “our mother’s philosophy, fells like quicksand, And if she sinks, I’m going down with her”. I feel this song is to her daughter. It’s fast and fierce. Whatever happens she will be right by her. “When we are broken we are whole” understanding pain can bring people closer together, especially if it’s shared. “And my continuity and my daughters”. I hope I never need this album, but i know it’s likely I will have big feelings to get through that this will aid well. She so interesting as a vocalist, she creates her own rhythms I can’t really explain it, at first it feels a little clunky but then you get drawn in. This album is devastating, but hopeful in some ways and strong in most. She makes it through the pain. I love that she had creativity as an outlet in this time. It has to be a 5, no one else could dare to create/recreate this. The artwork is gorgeous. She stands in all black radiating spikes of yellow and blue and silver. And this album feels as though although she feels dark there is moments of colour through all the separate deep feelings.

Amazing. This algorithm has me as its cat’s toy. Just what I needed to hear as my own relationship imploded.

beautiful + challenging = perfect

one of the few truly unique artist in contemporary music

I love this album. Hypnotic and beautiful.

Both the desolation and the uplifting beauty of the Icelandic landscape. There are points in Mouth Mantra where the enveloping strings (with all the foreboding of Prokofiev) and scattered beats make you feel like your swooping over it. Stonemilker is the most glorious and sorrowful song I have heard in many a year. I like that the album makes use of the viola organista, constructed to Da Vinci's design. That's rather fitting, given the album has all the enigma and chiaroscuro of one of the great man's paintings. All this beautiful music she's made, and she'll still be remembered for slapping that Thai reporter in the gob after a long plane journey. But, albums like this are rare indeed. It's immersive, challenging, painful, beautiful. One of those albums you can constantly relisten to and get something new each time. I think I've pseud's cornered my way into a five.

"Vulnicura" is the eighth studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter, composer, producer and actress Björk. The apt Wiki-musical descriptors are electronic, avant-garde and ambient. The album was produced by Björk, Arca and the Haxan Cloak and expresses Björk's feelings before and after her breakup with contemporary artist Matthew Barney with whom she had a 14-year relationship and a daughter. It was released to wide-spread critical acclaim for being one of her most honest and personal albums as well as her best output in a decade. Commercially, it reached #11 in the UK and #20 on the US Billboard 200. A cello and violin intro begins "Stonemilker." Björk's voice enters, emotionally exhausted. Sparse, echoing percussion. The strings and vocals build. She is descrbing trying to get the emotions out of her boyfriend. The song ends with a melancholic string fade (not the last time). Layered Björk a capella vocals start "Lionsong." Strings and a faster beat. The vocals become wavering and the beats more electronic. She's in an uncertain place in the relationship and wants clarity. Another string fade outro. "History of Touches" marks the point of the breakup. Bouncey electronic synth keys and vocals. No strings. The 10-minute "Black Lake" takes us on a journey after the breakup. A melancholic string intro. Björk's voice. Electronic drones. Heartbeats. Silence. The electronic beats become harder. Now repeat the musical cycle. It's three months after the breakup and she attempts to forgive him and return home. The songs become more complex mixing strings, beats and electronic elements, perhaps, mimicking her own feelings. "Notget" starts out with a happy tone with piano and synth keys. It then turns dark with the beats and lower-noted strings. Anohni joins in on the vocals in "Atom Dance." Another electronic and vocal expedition. Everything appears in the balance as we reach the closer "Quicksand." Hard beats. Strings come in. "And if she sinks, she sinks with her." It's a struggle between the dark beats and strings. The strings become louder. Now the beats are louder. The song closes with strings alone. Hopefully, she made it too. This is such a compelling listen due to the fact that the songs are in chronological order and we know that it's about a breakup. Both Björk's vocals and kyrics are extremely emotional and personal. The strings, beats and electronics match the emotions. The music is also very creative and well thought out. I was pretty much blown away by this album and totally engulfed in its journey. Björk has a lot of great music: include this one in that conversation.

Njen zasad zadnji fantastičan album

Not her most popular, but actually one of my favourite Bjork albums.

прикольно, вайбово, необычно, альбом добавил. напомнило аврору. подойдет для вечернего чилла))

Siempre tuve miedo a escuchar a Björk, sentía que no me iba a gustar o que no iba a ser de mi estilo. A pesar de que es un álbum que no creo qu vaya a escuchar mucho, me pareció impresionante. La habilidad que tiene de transmitir tantas emociones tan complejas en muy pocas palabras es de admirar, nunca antes me había topado con una artista que tenga ese don tan marcado. La producción también considero que es increíble, porque no busca hacerte cantar o bailar, busca transmitir, contar una historia. Fui capaz de escuchar a muchísimos artistas que me gustan que tomaron inspiración en ella para hacer música y eso es tan hermoso. Tengo ganas de escuchar más de ella.

Multi-textured strings orchestration and a devastated Björk, battling with the precursors and the aftermath of a breakup. Arca's production fits Björk's one-of-kind voice perfectly. Standout Tracks: Lionsong, Black Lake, Family, Atom Dance

underbar feelz

The first 6 songs on the album are presented in order of when she wrote them and subtitled on the album’s liner notes with the actual timeline they were written before and after her divorce. This is such a raw and personal inclusion and really adds heartbreaking context to the songs. Stonemilker (9 months before) – “And if one feels closed, how does one stay open?” The opening track is admission that the relationship is fraying and a plea for her partner to be open with her and match her effort in their partnership. There is a reference to the Biophilia track “Mutual Core” which is about tectonic plates and volcanoes but also certainly about friction and fighting in a relationship. The strings on this song give me goosebumps every time. Lionsong (5 months before) – “Maybe he will come out of this loving me, maybe he won’t… somehow I’m not too bothered. I’d just like to know.” This song is almost word for word a conversation that I’ve had with a friend who was a few months away from her own divorce. That feeling of will he let me leave/admit that he wants to end it or is something going to change to keep this thing together. The frustration and exhaustion gives way to just wanting a little bit of closure. History of Touches (3 months before) – “I wake you up in the night feeling this is our last time together” – She still has love for her partner, but knows that the relationship is ending. She reminisces about their passionate past. Black Lake (2 months after) – This 10 minute track is just grief and fury, starting and stopping, it’s like she was talking it out in the shower “You fear my limitless emotions, I am bored of your apocalyptic obsessions” sob, thought, “Family was always our sacred mutual mission which you abandoned” shampoo, rumination, “I am a glowing shiny rocket, returning home, as I enter the atmosphere, I burn off layer by layer” This is a pure musical exercise in getting it out, it’s basically a diss track at her ex and moment of self assurance. The stuttering freezes and shifting movements and musical punctuation add to the sense of long suffering giving way to that “AND ANOTHER THING!” sort of emotional release. Family (6 months after) – “Is there a place where I can pay respects for the death of my family?” A reflection on the end of their family unit and how the need to protect and love their child even though the love between mother and father has ended. Notget (11 months after) – “If I regret us, I'm denying my soul to grow. Don't remove my pain, it is my chance to heal” – this song sounds like a future version of a song from Homogenic in its aggressive composition - marching beats and stabbing strings and distorted declarations of the endurance of her capacity to love and survive after heartbreak. That ends the “Divorce Suite” of Vulnicura, the final three songs do not have the timeline laid out but are thematically linked both in the musical composition (strings and beats!) and personal connection. “Atom Dance” was a song that was initially conceptualized for Biophilia, sung here with longtime friend and collaborator Anohni, it becomes a swirling tribute to connectedness. The tempo and strings on this song are so peculiar, and I love Anohni and Bjork’s voices together. “Mouth Mantra” is about recovering from vocal chord surgery after Biophilia, and the introspection that came with not having access to her voice during that time. “Quicksand” was conceived before any of the other songs on this album, in 2011 after Bjork’s mother suffered a heart attack. Here it becomes a reflection on complicated family relationships and how they permeate generations. As a closing track I think it so interesting – lyrically it ends with long reaching thoughts of the future, while musically it ends abruptly in the middle of the string coda. To me it gives this cinematic feeling of “this is the end of my story, but also this is a story that has happened and will happen and is happening to people everywhere right now too” Love starts and ends, families grow and change, daughters become mothers. If you struggle against the reality, you will only get more bogged down by it. I love this album. I’ve been a Bjork fan for a long time and have experienced all of her eras over the past 2 decades. My first thought when I heard this was excitement that she had returned to some of the musical motifs from the “Post” and “Homogenic” eras, namely using string arrangements with her signature experimental electronic beats (shoutout to Arca taking the place of previous Bjork collaborators like Mark Bell etc.). My second thought, and it is one that she has said herself in interviews, was that it was interesting to hear her take on a break-up album. It is such a convention of pop music but something that she had never really done before. In true Bjork fashion, it is not a typical break-up album, and in the way of her more recent albums I’m tempted to refer to it as a piece of music rather than a pop album, especially the first suite of songs. I really enjoy her more avant garde style compositions (like Black Lake) they eschew the norms of verse chorus verse bridge pop structure to develop a rich emotional language and tell the story in a new way, the slow burn and development of movements across that song are very rewarding for me and I’m glad she leaned into that more free structured music on the following albums, Utopia and Fossora.

5/5 and it’s not even her best album

Certamente a lista foi acerta para eu superar o preconceito com Björk. Outro disco com clima envolvente com o uso impressionante das camadas eletrônicas.

Absolutely amazing. This quavering, intense voice combined with the experimental song compositions has me stopping me what I'm doing to listen. I have heard some of her songs 20 years ago, but it's clear with how prolific she's been I have a lot of catching up to do.

With some artists, I devour their discography as soon as I discover them. With others, I wait until the timing just feels right and select an album at random, like a treat. It seems the timing was right for Vulnicura, truly. I'm in a stage of life where I can really relate to and absorb the story. It may not be my favorite Bjork album (so far), but her expression of heartbreak is just so visceral I can feel it in my own chest. It's beautiful and difficult and unlike anything else I've ever heard.

Love bjork but haven’t listens to this one looking forward. Great album emotional and just majestic always a treat to listen to Bjork. 9/10.

This grew on me so much! I love how concise and vulnerable the lyrics are. I love how the album goes from luscious string arrangements to haunting electronica over the course of the runtime. It's up there with Blood on the Tracks as an all-time great breakup album. Best Track: Lionsong Worst Track: Notget

An element of weirdness but great

I felt in love with Homogenic a long time ago, but I'm not very regular to follow Björk's work & career. But I'm generally happy to hear something from her: her universe is very distinctive and personal, and I like the way she intertwins her peculiar vocals with the music. Vunicura is a solid album, perhaps calmer than Homogenic but all the ingredients I like in her music are there. And it was refreshing to listen to her after a serie of pretty "meh" records... I even listen to it twice.

Can understand why many don't like this but few artists can fuse this level of experimentalism with accessibility and emotional power. This still sounds like the future close to a decade on.

I love Bjork. She's almost certainly an alien. And I just love her work. This is such a heartbroken masterpiece. I hate to see others in pain, but I'm listening to the art recovered from the aftermath.

Gut-wrenching, took me back to my past breakup. Cool IDM elements, I wish there were more! 5 stars to boost the average rating.

For a first Bjork album, I'm not sure how this compares to her other work, though from what I've heard so far, It's absolutely gorgeous. I can't really quantify it but oh my GOODNESS it is beautiful.

Already looking forward to giving this one another spin. It does seem to hark back to some of her earlier albums but with a modern spin I guess. Faves for now: History Of Touches, Atom Dance

Björk's my favorite artist, so I was obviously very excited to get this album today. Her music touches me like no other and this especially has got me through some shit. One of my all time favorites.

Muy bonico.

This is one of those album you need multiple listens to fully appreciate. However on first listen I can tell this is very good, not perfect, but it has some very good arrangements and I really like the sound of the drums. Currently a 4.5 but I could see it becoming a 5 on future listens.

Really enjoyed listening to this! This LP combines some absolutely stunningly gorgeous orchestral and ambient synth moments with energetic, creative, dark techno sounds (courtesy of Arca, who is perhaps best known for producing on the off-the-wall production showcase Yeezus). The hectic back-and-forth between beautiful/mournful and manic/abrasive moods, along with Bjork's powerful vocals, makes this a compelling breakup album. 5 stars!

One of her best. This one was a return to form, especially after putting out a series of albums that weren't bad by any stretch, but had seemed kind of formless. She sounds reinvigorated here, more emotional and ambitious than she had been in years.

This album is Björk at her most vulnerable. Written and recorded in the wake of a breakup, this album ruminates in the heartbreak and healing process showing the whole process. I found this album to perfectly show the cycle of grief which is not a cycle at all. It waxes and wanes, gets caught in though cycles, and has breakthroughs before falling back into sadness. The music is stark, jagged, and lush at times and perfectly complements the lyrics. Björk’s delivery commands attention and is halting, drawn-out, and forceful.

prrr prrr ptts, uuuhooo pptt ptttss rrttss

Muy bonico.

Enjoyable experience. Wonderful album. Beautiful.

joork

Calming and weird. First album of hers I have liked.

Once again, I'm gonna need some more dimensions in my scale. I can't compare this in any way to, say, Snoop Dogg or The Electric Prunes. This is abstract art, which I see after listening is appropriate since it was created for an exhibit at MOMA. Listening definitely feels like work. But it’s musically complex and emotionally deep and maxes out the uniqueness dimension.