Reviews (page 7 of 8)
It seems the most approachable of the Bjork albums on this list recently (for me). It is still Bjork with her unusual vocal delivery, though the music is quite sweeping and majestic... layered orchestral that gives it depth and can soar at times. Stonemilker, Lionsong and Black Lake really stand out. Towards the end it gets a bit back to a bit more artsy and more challenging, but it was an interesting listen.
just awful
I didn't really enjoy this at all.
I've listened to a few Bjork albums now, and still none of them have clicked for me
wtf. thumbs down.
Another Björk album? This is 4 in total. Her previous solo albums were bad. Her group album was barely tolerable. So why not add another? Turns out she still releases awful music in 2015
Wild..
Electronica, ambient, indie, female, polyphonic, mid, strings, dark, drama, very limited beats/song structures, long songs, very much focused on her voice. As much as I "respect" her as an artist (what a stupid phrase), not enough for me, no additional spin.
Breakup albums always tend to be overrated and I think this one is no exception. Björk's delivery and lyrics are heartbreaking and Arca's sharpened production are the two real strong points of Vulnicura. Björk has never sounded so passionate and honest since Vespertine, which ironically is her love album dedicated to the same man. Having said that, the song themselves are too meandering for me and things start to all blend together after a while. There are still some amazing moments in there, but in the end I found it a bit tiring to get through it.
One of her most boring work, in my opinion.
Although I love Bjork, this is the album I have the hardest time getting into it. The music is more ordinary and samey than her usual work. Don't get me wrong, this is a good album, but not essential to me.
the first 4 tracks are great with stonemilker being my absolute favorite. after that, something just didn't click with me. i liked bits and parts of the rest of the songs but none of them worked for me as a whole. it's a strong 5 to a light 6.
Yeah I don't get her. Vulnicura sounds perfectly fine if a bit weird, there's just absolutely nothing there that appeals to me, she sounds like she's having a whale of a time but whatever creativity is on display is lost on me.
I think we've had one Bjork album that I enjoyed, quite early on? This was not another, it's particularly waily and sad, but doesn't really communicate the emotion (or anything) very coherently. 2/5
I didn't like it, every song sounded the same with Bjork singing seemingly random lyrics over electronic ambient music. It was hard to get through the entire album. It wasn't the worst thing I've heard, but I won't be recommending it to anyone
Not a fan
Trippy. Sounds like being abducted by some sort of otherworldly fae alien being, which is to be expected of Bjork.
Meh
puuh, nochmal krasser als die ersten alben.
Mira, siempre me ha costado entrar en la música de Björk, pero este disco me gustó.
Decent. The world is a better place with Björk in it. I wish Björk would release a series of albums with standards from various genres, kind of like Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash did.
I was a massive Bjork fan in college, but haven’t kept up with her output in more recent years. Consequently I’m hearing this one for the first time. It’s a terrific blend of what drew me to her in college and a new, even more experimental sound, which is saying something for Bjork! Really loved this, I’ll definitely need to listen to more of the recent stuff.
Some really beautiful music. Please don’t make me listen anymore.
This was an interesting project with a lot of abstract elements. This isn’t something I would revisit often but I can appreciate the artistry.
A-solid but not really good D-nothing stood out, good or bad
It's weird how the album just... cuts out. But the track being called "Quicksand," you just get... pulled under. Although quicksand really isn't like what we as kids thought it was. It's usually only a few feet deep. But the drama sometimes IS better than the reality. I enjoyed this more as atmospheric music, which is what I guess she was going for? Background type of stuff. You start listening to the words in things like "History of Touches" and you're thinking "wait, what did she just say?" I guess I'm getting more and more used to her type of adventurous style. You keep hearing enough of it, it's going to rub off on you, I guess. But the shorter songs were better. A 10 minute Bjork song? Yeah, no thank you. Top songs: "Stonemilker", "Notget", "Quicksand"
A little trippy in terms of the synth or programming. And very trippy in terms of Bjork's vocals. But not in an "oh my god I love this" kind of way. More in a "huh, how about that?" kind of way. The strings throughout the album were a nice touch. But I'm not feeling the need to go listen to more Bjork.
Bjork is just plain weird. The strings sound great, but her singing sounds like the vocal equivalent of interpretative dance.
Enjoyable experience. Wonderful album. Beautiful.
Många säger att de är uppbrot album. Nej. Det är björk björkar. Björk icelandiska.. scar tycker inte.. icelandiska är pretentiös, anspråksfull. Men jag tycker at det här album björk är digsjälv. Ingen icelandiska.. Under hela tiden.. Ingentinga jördu gjurdu honom icelandiska.. Hon gör ingen märkvärkligt.. Det här.. Björk.. Jag tycker at det är perfect björk... min söt bebis.. min söt bebis.. in min ÖÖÖÖRRR!! tack för dig, björk
A lot of the songs themselves feel sort of aimless, and even with some great string sections I can’t help but feel like something’s missing. Bjork’s delivery is very drawn out which takes away from the drive that this album could’ve had. And tbh it’s hard for my ADHD ass to stay engaged when she sings about her breakup at a third of the pace that even most pop singers manage. But her voice is still great and the strings are beautiful. Still very worth a listen. Homogenic and Vespertine are still obviously better but I’d say this is around the level of Biophilia, which I’d much recommend if you haven’t heard before. Favs: Stonemilker, Quicksand
wow
I'm pretty sure I transcended listening to "Stonemilking" for the first time.
For my first Björk album, this is certainly a good way to introduce her musical style.
I think it’s hard to quantify this album into numbers. It’s not an album you can replay; there’s no big hit single here, there’s no catchy one-liners, there’s not even really melodies like that. There’s just Bjork, her voice, her emotions, and her soundscape. It’s hard to enter that soundscape at first, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it turns off some people early on (it nearly turned me off tbh). If you stick to it, what you end up with is a very cathartic album – a baring of the soul of someone who’s so clearly been through so much shit that they had to get it off their chest. I do think the album could have ended on track 7 to make for a much more complete and fulfilling experience, but the last 2 tracks didn't take away from the sort of mesmerizing feeling the whole album gave me. I’m gonna give it a strong 4, and in retrospect, that’s the same rating I should’ve given to Berlin. They both do an incredible job of conveying their themes and their emotions, but I think the more personal nature of this album pushes it ahead of Berlin for me in terms of concept albums, though like I said; this is an album that you can’t really quantify with numbers. You either feel it or you don’t.
I love that music like this made by artists such as Björk. I need to be in the right frame of mind for this - that isn’t now. I will come back to this album as I feel it has something that only repeated listens will reveal.
A little goes a long way
Not my kind of music but I enjoyed it regardless, very different
I really want to like this album but it is so boring.
It had some good songs but also felt it wondered too much in places.
Nice
This one got denser as tracks went by but it is an outstanding effort. Good record.
I loved the tone of this albums, instrumentation, and her voice. Beautiful album.
Pretty listenable, but a lot of making weird noise for weird noise’s sake
Like last time, I love the production on the album. The string arrangements were great, and the whole sound design was really cool. I just cannot stand the way Björk lays out her melodies. They are so unsatisfying to listen to because they don’t ever really reach a satisfying ending. If this album did not include any vocals, it would be a 5 star album to listen to while doing other things. 2.5 stars
i may swear off music for good after this
Bjork is good. bonus .5 points for that cat music video. rounded down though
I think I have the capacity for approximately 40min of enjoying Bjork and unfortunately this album exceeds that limitation.
This was torture.
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
Not a huge Bjork fan, but I will say there's no one like her. I think she's one of those artists you either really love or really don't.
I actually made it through this one! I still don't get the love affair.
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.
I don't get it. At all. Read any other of my reviews for Bjork. She's terrible, shouldn't have a single album on the list, let alone 4+?!?!?
4.0
The most overrated artist in the history of pop music
gloriously weird. Score: 3 pineapples
Happy to be schooled otherwise but this sounds exactly like what she was putting out in the 90s. Issue being it was at least interesting back then, now it's just a bit sad. Surely by now, Bjork, after 20+ years you've been able to figure out your unusual and abstract feelings
This is another good album that fits a particular mood or time-slot for me. I do enjoy some of the unique features that Björk adds to her music, but they can be too much in moments. Very solid.
Like a real sad trip
So far this is almost comically stereotypical Bjork stuff. Synths mixed with orchestral, variations in tempo and tonality. Her voice is rougher than previous works. I don't dislike either her voice or this album, but I don't think it reaches the heights of her debut album, Debut.
Ongelofelijk. Bij de eerste beluistering vond ik track 1 prachtig en de twee volgende minder en dacht ik hmm niets voor mij, te donker, te depressief, te weird. Maar black lake kwam dan weer wel heel hard binnen door de prachtige stiltes tussendoor. Vervolgens wat over gelezen en nog eens geluisterd. En nog eens. De strijkers zijn waanzinnig mooi geschreven (doet ze zelf!), combi met elektronica is bevreemdend, maar smaakvol. Een zotte trip. Is meer Mahler en Beethovens late strijkkwartetten in plaats van popmuziek. Maar op de juiste plaats en juiste moment echt ongelofelijk.
Benieuwd! haar debuut heb ik volgens mij met een welgemeende 4 sterren beoordeeld, dus hoge verwachtingen van dit album! Het is veeeeeeel experimenteler dan het debuut album. Waar dat een lekker elektronisch pop album was is dit veel duidelijker experimenteel en lopen de nummers niet meer zo goed door. Ik ben absoluut minder fan van dit album dan van het vorige album. Het is veel experimenteler, het is muzikaal minder en het is gewoon algeheel minder leuk dan het vorige. Vind leuk domme kritiek, maar het klopt wel echt bij dit album. Black Lake intrigeert me heel erg, ook omdat daar best wel veel gebeurt. Had dit nummer echter 10 minuten lang moeten zijn? Dat weet ik niet zo goed. Ik was met 5 minuten ook wel echt gelukkig geweest. Family daarna is echt een wakkerword momentje hoor. WTF. Ok, ik heb het echt geprobeerd, maar ik vind dit album echt helemaal niets. Het is mij te experimenteel en ik vind hier gewoon echt heel weinig aan. FAVO:
This might just be the most depressing album I've listened to so far. And I listened to a Nick Drake album! However, that is not a bad thing. Björk's Vulnicura is a concept album of sorts, focusing on emotions surrounding a real-life breakup of hers, among a few other things in the later songs. This album is executed wonderfully. This also ended up being the most artsy album I've listened to so far. This isn't the kind of music that you or I would listen to casually during a normal day, and that's fine. Different kinds of music can serve different purposes, and this album happens to succeed at its purpose. The sound is quite interesting. I really like the usage of string instruments, and the occasional electronic sound adds even more things to pay attention to while listening. The singing, while somewhat hard to understand at times due to the vocal effects, is very good. The writing is pretty simple, but oh so very effective. You can really feel that there's a story being told, and the given emotion that a song focuses on can really shine through. It's all very personal. It is, like the past few albums I've listened to, a bit long, but it works better here since the feelings one experiences regarding a breakup last for quite a while. Overall, while this is definitely not the kind of music that I listen to, Vulnicura does exactly what it wants to do in a very unique and respectable fashion. Light 4/5.
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.
Elegant and idiosyncratic. Vivid, painful, personal lyrics. I have to be in a particular mood to listen to Bjork, but she makes legitimately beautiful albums. I've never heard a bad one. Fave Songs: Stonemilker, Black Lake, Family, Lionsong, Atom Dance, Mouth Mantra
More björk 🙄 Og well its pretty allright usually Maan This is way too boring 3 2 1?
I saw Björk in The Northman so I know she is a witch of some kind. Therefore I will not saw a negative word about this album. I didn't enjoy it but I don't fuck with witches.
I respect the creativity, but I just don’t feel it
Sometimes I love Bjork. This ain’t one of them times.
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.
- NO NOT HER AGAIN WHY - The vibes are not as bad as the other Bjork album we got, but still not great - Instrumentals were fine but I will never willingly listen to Bjork ever
- such an interesting style of singing - I can’t tell if it’s artistic brilliance or wildly stupid - I can appreciate it but I wouldn’t come back to it - 2.5 but I’ll round up since it’s unique
Björk has their fans. And I applaud that. I also applaud the musicianship and creativity on display here.
Artistically, this is indulgent. After a while I settled into it, and there are moments, but it requires effort.
It was my first time listening to Vulnicura and obviously, it would need a lot more listens to understand this album better and rate it. It's heavy and different, and unique at the same time, but I wouldn't say I really enjoyed it at my first listen, though I find it interesting. I should definitely listen to this more times, but for now I'm giving it a 3.
BJORK SZN APPROACHING, FUCK WHOEVER YALL PROMOTING
Tämä on jo liian outoa ja taiteellista minulle.
Sorry Bjork fans, I just don’t enjoy her music. I can appreciate the art and artist but it’s not something that I would want to regularly listen to.
It's Bjork, never know what your going to get. Liked not loved it
cool ideas, but kind of annoying at times
I will forever be mystified by the mainstream success of Bjork, but putting that aside, this is really good mood-setting music.
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.
There were some good parts where her voice sounded really in sync with the music, but overall I just didn’t like the album
6/10 kind of hypnotizing
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.
Rating: 6/10 Decent album overall. Bjork always has great production, very experimental with orchestral, electronic, pop, and glitchy elements. Where this album falls short for me is Bjork's vocals, sounded a bit monotone, it felt like she was talking instead of singing on a lot of the album. Also even though the production is pretty experimental a lot of the songs seemed to blend into one another, all of the songs sounded relatively similar. Despite this, the album is experimental enough that it kept my interest the whole time and I really enjoyed the production, the other albums I heard by her are definitely better though. Favorite songs: Stonemilker, History of Touches. Worst song: Quicksand.
joork
I heard of Bjork, but never listened to her music. After this I don't think I ever will again. Music was cool and I was vibe-ing it, but as soon as her voice came in it wasn't for me.
Very special album. Nothing I'd ever would have picked out on my own, but it's super cool to listen to.
Calming and weird. First album of hers I have liked.
The things I didn't enjoy about listening to this album (basically the hour of long, wailing, painful songs) were certainly intentional, and from that point of view, beautifully and interestingly done. The strings are particularly effective at conveying the emotions here. It's hard to rate because I also couldn't wait for it to be done.
I feel exhausted after listening to this. It was striking and beautiful, yet painful and somewhat torturous. It kind of made me want to cry, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.
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.
Björk has been a mixed bag for me. This album follows the way of Medúlla for me in that I can appreciate the artistry despite not enjoying the art. Still, there is a strange beauty in some parts that call out to me. My visit to Iceland actually gave me a little more connection to this cold, stark sound. While ultimately I can’t say I enjoyed this and will return to this often (or maybe ever), some parts were quite striking.
I think Björk is cool, but this was just atmospheric background music for me. Pretty, though.
This came across as a very emotional, personal album, and the songwriting felt quite strong in that regard. Bjork's vocals are always unique and fascinating. However I found the instrumental aspects of this album too repetitive and it felt like a slog to get through at times.
This one probably deserves all the praise, and Björk continues to impress with her groundbreaking vocal. But sometimes it feels like a chore to listen to a Björk album, and this was one of those times.
Björk either completely nails it or takes everything a bit too far on all of her releases. Vulnicura falls into the latter category. The string arrangements are interesting but I grow tired of the concept along the way. This is somehow both too Björk and not quite Björk enough for me. That being said, it’s really not a bad album. It rarely is with Björk.
😖
I really want to like Bjork...and her music is diverse but it doesn't matter what music goes on behind I can't get her vowel twisting vocals that seem alien to the melody behind. Sigh.....
It's Bjork. It's weird. It's fascinating. It's not really my cuppa.
I like the motifs but it's too weird for me.
Wow… bleak
Musical genius and visionary. One of the few that fit that description. As always, intriguing, challenging, and ambitious. 4 stars.
This album is a mood, and not one that I'm in today. There was too little variation between songs. Every syllable sung is so slow and elongated that everything just blends into itself. Best Songs: N/A Listen Again: No
Vulcinura has some of the most aimless bits of Björking, vocally; The beginning's especially guilty, and the production is almost too quiet to prevent boredom. The record really picks up, though, and immaculate design with growing classical influence saves it by the end. Full of anti-bangers, really: I can only imagine being unsettled by individual cuts.
Uhm.. Dit is denk ik een beetje te experimenteel voor mij. Het heeft ergens wel iets interessants en spannends maar is niet echt leuk om naar te luisteren haha.. Misschien als je aan het trippen bent wel cool maar ja nee ik zou dit niet opzetten. Family vind ik wel wat hebben. Would not buy
Het eerste wat ik meteen dacht toen ik de naam Björk zag was “oh die vond Ezra altijd zo vet” hahaha. Zelf ken ik volgens mij niet heel veel van haar muziek en had ik altijd wel het idee dat het niet echt mijn muziek zou zijn. Ga nu het album luisteren dus we zullen zien of ik wat ken en of ik het wat vind. Eerste (alle) nummer(s) erg theatraal, erg instrumenteel, erg vet. Ze heeft ook echt een bizarre stem. Iets wat ik wel in een concert zou willen meemaken maar ik niet uit mezelf zou opzetten thuis. Zou misschien ook wel erg vette filmmuziek zijn. Maar vind het nogsteeds niet echt mijn ding tbh hahah. Wow, het nummer “Black Lake” had opeens een soort techno plot twist voor heel even, erg leuk. Heb het album niet helemaal afgeluisterd oeps…
A beautiful, devastating album about the end of love. Bjork makes super interesting music in a style that is unmistakably hers. This one came up just short of a 5, maybe if I heard it in a different time of my life the mood of the album would more strongly resonate with me. 4 - Will definitely listen again
Pretty much everything about this album is objectively great, but it just didn’t click with me. I could picture myself regretting not giving this album a 5 in the future.
Ikkje nåken Björk-fan no heller
Har passerat "Bäst före" för länge sedan. Fanns väl ett par skapliga låtar.
Very avant-garde. I really enjoyed the stringed orchestra and the progressive electronic beats. The vocals are, strange to say the least. Just very disjointed. Almost as if she is doing her best to make herself not understood by adding unnecessary pauses in the middle of words. With different vocals, and more well defined melodies, this would've earned 5 stars. However, I reserve 5 stars to albums that absolutely blow me away. This did not, but it was still a very strong album and worthy of an honorable mention.
I like Bjork as a cool person and was looking forward to diving into her music, but I didn't really enjoy this album. I appreciate her talent, but not my jam.
Fun
Ze heeft iig een markante en eigen stijl, vooral met de zang. Heel staccato ofzo. En ik weet niet echt wat ik ervan moet vinden eerlijk gezegd. Aangekomen in het 10 minuten durende Black Lake weet ik het: dit is niet voor mij. Maar +1 voor de effort en de uniekheid. 2 sterren.
Bjørk blir litt for rar
Yoko ono thanks
I'm not sure how to rate this. It's very arty, but I did NOT have a great time. But you can really feel her pain and expression..........
This is one of my least favorite Björk albums, but it is still really good! It gets 3 stars on the Björk scale but 4 stars here!
Liked tracks 2 and 3, Tyler’s comments about sing talking were dead on.
I really like Bjork so I was excited for this one. But at this point I can't give it a high rating, yet. I like the vocals, percussion, and overall sound. But the songs are pretty artsy and take some effort to get into, and I haven't gotten over that hump yet. This differs from some earlier Bjork which was much catchier and easier to get into.
I hope Debut or Post appear on this list somewhere, because I'd love to give Bjork 3 or 5 stars... but her later music just feels like sing-talking over ambient music.
There are artists that change up what they do seemingly with every album, and I can follow where they go and enjoy what they're doing (PJ Harvey, Radiohead). & then there are some artists that get really esoteric as their career progresses, and they lose me along the way. I give Bjork so much credit for her vision and trying different things, while also acknowledging strings and pretty singing and ambient noise don't really do it for me.
Queen of weird. Too weird
I cannot
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
Heel Emotioneel. Mooie teksten. Experimentele muziek. Top!
2.5 Not a bad listen. Not really for me though.
Really only good for shrooms. Somehow the lyrics are both too preachy and too whimsical.
Amazing voice as we already know. Songs have not grabbed me, general lack of conventional hooks.
I think I liked this the best of the (excessive number of) Björk albums on this list, for an active energy and variety I find lacking in a lot of her work (where I feel like a kind of monotonous brooding intensity never quite opens up into whatever the payoff is supposed to be). People I respect love her and I'm fully open to the interpretation that I'm just not getting it for whatever reason.
Not for me
I just wish she’d coordinate her voice with the music!
I didn’t care for this one.
This is interesting and alright. But I don't know what is enjoyable about it.
I would like to give this a 4 because I really like Björk, I gave Debut a 3 when I should have given it a 4, and this is my favorite album of her later career (the albums after Medúlla), but it’s just not quite there for me. My favorite song is “Notget”, but I have gotten a bit tired of that song.
She has a knack for mystical sounding music. Many of these are long and rather rambly. Not fully on board with it, but it does have the strange beauty one would expect from Björk.
Part of my problem is that I tried to listen to this in the car on a drive between Cincinnati and Cleveland during a rainstorm. It's definitely not road trip music. I'm generally a big fan of Bjork, and admire her seemingly boundless creativity, but even when I went to listen on headphones, there's something about this that still rubbed me the wrong way. Felt a bit lost and searching, dissonant and abrasive. I'd bet this would be amazing to see performed live though.
Love Björk but this one may be a bit too personal for her that it doesn't do a whole lot for me. It's a breakup album that I can't relate to.
Pretty good, great voice as always, soothed my soul in a time of need. Will need to give it a 2nd listen
Weird
every bit as bad as advertised. Self indulgent dreck with aspirations to performance art style music. The orchestration is the only redeeming feature.
screeching.
More of a 3.5
Instrumentals sound like if Aphex Twin met disney which is amazing. I have to get used to her singing style. My favorite track was Notget
Fully Bjork. I love Bjork, but her more recent work has suffered from a lack of mixing up the pace and atmosphere throughout the album. Still gorgeous, but not as fully amazing or exciting as some of her earlier work.
Great example of phenomenal abstract pop. Not Björk's best but it's up there and Björk owns that genre so it's still phenomenal
Wasn’t as impressed with this as earlier Björk (2.5/5)
3rd Listen Bjork from Iceland Genre: Electronic, avant-garde, ambient She is so weird is works.... Her style is unique - nobody can ever copy her. This is definitely a mood album. You have to be in the right frame of mind to just sit and listen to it ... or just play it in the background while to contemplate something critical or dark in your life. Standouts: Black Lake, Stonemilker, Lionsong. 4/5
At ty this point, I'll follow Björk anywhere. But that doesn't mean I'll stick around and hang with her. I get it, someone broke her heart, and this can clearly resonate with all of us who dealt with a breakup. But at the same time, you gotta get over it.
Didn't like this. Too eclectic, too literal, melodies too obscure and too difficult. Bjork is always a challenging listen and I will give this another go, but on first listen not for me. 2.5 stars
Not a fan of her style but the album itself is not as bad as I expected. Overall pretty mediocre to be honest.
Cue in the mixed feelings. On one hand, I love how no Bjork album sounds like one of its predecessors. I love the innovation and sense of exploration, Bjork boldly going where no musician has gone before. Even the album cover is worth noting for its daring. On the other hand, there's the actual music. I'm enjoying it, but not as much as I should (?): it's definitely not easy to digest, one of those albums that require too many listens before I can conclude that I would have been better off spending my time listening to other albums.
I know that everyone loves Bjork and I can't deny that she has a original sound but it has never worked for me and this album is no exception.
Se me hizo interminable, denso, raro en las melodías, ritmos, además que no entiendo nada de lo que dice, por lo que no me llegó tampoco por ese lado
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.
She did it again. Møthër.
The first track so strong that the rest of the album struggles to measure up. Atom Dance and Quicksand are also good.
Not for me.
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.
Typical great Bjork style, but becoming too abstract for me. Where has the directness of Debut gone?
I’m sorry, I just really don’t get Björk. I don’t understand it and I don’t like it. There, I said it. I feel better now.
Vulnicura strings was better but wouldnt listen again
Bit weird
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.
Background music
I've always liked the idea of Bjork, but I've never been a Bjorker (I hardly knew her). This album goes right into that. Wild songs that sound like nothing I've heard before, but not really connecting with anything. It's a bit her voice, a bit the directionless flow. Again, I don't think that's a true problem, and I think she is someone meant to be on this list. It's just not my jam. Very cool album cover too. I think her best performance was as the witch/seer in Northman.
Once again, yeah, I'm not a Bjork fan. This album didn't annoy me at all though, and there were a couple songs I dug. But most of it just breezed by me. She's one of those big acclaimed artists that I don't know if I'll ever catch the train. Favorite tracks: Lionsong, Atom Dance. Album art: I do like the look of this one, very striking. Bjork hitting the weird NPC pose in some bizarre, but very Bjork, outfit. Very refined. 2.5/5
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.
An automatic 2 for being Bjork, but yeah, there's not a lot here to hang on to.
I know it shouldn't get to me, but there's a quality to Bjőrk's music that in the past has often left me cold. I went in with an open mind to Vulnicura, and it happened again. Why it bugs me is that so many people who say clever and observant things about music rate Bjőrk, and so I wind up feeling I'm at fault. That somehow I'm deficient as a listener. What am I missing? I've given this a couple of spins and if I can sum up the experience in one word, it's this - 'grating'. I could've gone with 'listless' too, but hell, I'd just be acting all gratuitous at that point.
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.
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
Many weird and wondrous songs.
Even before attempting to listen to this I knew it was getting 1 star. 10 seconds in and that's enough of this shit for me.
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.
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.
Wederom een album met wel een paar aardige nummers, maar ook een paar nummers waarvan ik niet snap waarom je ze alleen al zou bedenken. **
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.
Voce straordinaria, melodie straordinarie, 1 ora volata 5/5
Like, why... I swear this is the third Bjork album on this list so far... what is it about the greatness of this singer that I'm not understanding? Cause it's definitely going right over my head.
Not into this one. Her voice is great but the songs don’t highlight it.
Vulnerable Bjork!
Too much Bjork on this list. Interesting artist but I just can’t listen to this drag on.
Tolerable but I still don't care about it
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
Conceitual e tals mas sofrível de escutar
There are people who like listening to Björk. And there are people like me.
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.
love so much
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.
4th album by Bjork in this list. Kinda too much for this artist.
2 bjork on the bounce, christ
Super bland, after many listens.
Not a huge fan
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.
If you listened to 1 Bjørk album you listened to every Bjørk album. It's the same thing over and over again...
I don’t know that I’m a Björk person? Maybe the environment I listened in
I love Bjork and her weird vagina outfit and her weird jellyfish hat and her weird swan dress and her weird music
Bjork... that's the onomatopoeic sound I'd like to make when listening to her music. Vague, scatty and dreamy. Not entirely unpleasant but I was quite happy to experience the relief when it was over
Decent. Not really my vibe though.
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.
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
The luscious arrangements and Björk’s heartbreakingly personal subject matter make this definitively her best record.
I can't believe this is the 5th god damn Bjork or Bjork collaboration album (The Sugarcubes) I've gotten on this journey. Twice, MAYBE thrice at most but 5 times!? Bjork!? Over other infinitely more talented artists that somehow didn't make this 1001 list!?!? Album sucks as usual. 58 minutes of yelling into the wind off the coast of Iceland. 2/10
I like some Bjork stuff, but this was a hard listen - couldn't finish it
Great innovation and percussion, but the melody is frustratingly absent
I don't mind bjork but this was just a little bit much for me
a very bizarre breakup fever dream that overstays its welcome but has some interesting ideas. overall feels a little muddled. 2.5/5
I listened twice, i think it might be her best. Not everyone’s cup of tea of course.
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.
I’ve liked Vulnicura since its release, though I rarely return to it because I don’t follow Björk closely. Revisiting it was fun. The odd thing is, I enjoy it a lot but can’t exactly say why. 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.
Electrónica. Ambiente. Insufrible.
Maybe too intellectual for me, but compelling
If Björk had been born 40 years later, she would be a TikTok livestreamer. She's the first quirky girl and her biggest sin is not realizing how ungodly boring she is. "What if I put FL Studio glitch sound effects into my songs?" Wow. Never been done before. Björk is truly an experimental visionary. She's been doing the same thing since "Homogenic" in 1997 and music critics have been eating it up, because they have a special dictionary where the word "Experimentation" is defined as: "noun - the act of mumbling over video game pause music". I don't even think she cares about music anymore. Her albums are just an excuse for her to dress up in wacky costumes for the cover.
Very enjoyable, which was surprising to me.
I'm being generous!
i assumed that i didn’t like Björk and this album unfortunately confirmed my theory
So weird in all the right ways, stricking albeit strange album. Would listen to again!
Devastating
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.
This one was boring. Maybe I have to be in a specific mood for Björk and clearly that wasn't today. It was just a bit too bjorky for me today
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
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.
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
Interesting. 3/5
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 like 90s Björk, but this is simply not good
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.
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.
Pretty slow. 6/10
Pop muy caracterizado por la voz de la cantante. Tranquilo de escuchar y, aparte de buena voz, nada más destacable
Standard Bjork, the great bits are phenomenal but then somehow loses me.
Poor Bjork, just want to give her a cuddle and a cup of tea.
Too sad
Zzzzzzz
I think I like the idea of Bjork more than I like her, its fine, but mostly washed over me
Just sounded like more Bjork, seems the same as her other albums
Intriguing. Very personal lyrics set over cold calculated electronica music. I loved the first track. The rest, not so much.
Einstaka lög sem hrífa mig. Allt í allt leiðigjarnt til lengdar samt.
Its a Bjork album.
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
Too many of these songs are sprawling and formless. I don't expect pop hooks but I do need some sense of structure to give me an entry point into the music. There was another Björk album on this list, "Vespertine," that I enjoyed much more. On that album, even when the songs were experimental and avant-garde there was some detail that pulled me in -- a beat I could groove to or an interesting synth hook. I felt lost here and found myself slogging through most of it. “Lionsong” stood out to me. The line “Maybe he will come out of this loving me" is a powerful emotional hook. “Atom Dance” has a playful spirit. And Anohni, who sings guest vocals on the song, has an incredible voice -- so distinct. "Quicksand" has that interesting mixing and production I enjoyed on "Vespertine." It's got this thumping bass but the song is far from a dance track.
Bjork is kind of hit or miss with me. First track is beautiful. I love the orchestral elements and the super spacey reverbed percussion. As the track goes on I keep getting more and more impressed. Unfortunately some of these songs just meander around a bit and flow in and out in such a backburner sort of way that I found myself losing focus and my attention. It does feel like this album is missing memorability on a whole. I have enjoyed sitting and listening and experiencing it but if you asked me tomorrow to hum back a melody I would not be able to at all. Feels like a 2/5 for me and I have to be in a very specific mood for it to be a slightly higher 3/5.
Well bjork being bjork I guess
Typisch Björk, maar met extra strijkers.
Better than the other album if hers but still it good
My brain did not like the chaotic-ness of this. I couldn’t get through the album in one listen.
So, it turns out I'm a Bjork fan
Interesting; good background music for work.
Paskaa ja kolkuttelee kuninkuusluokan portteja. PASKAA!
Tyypillistä Björk-sekoilua. Tiesin mitä odottaa
This isn't music. It's art. And while I respect the art and the artist. It really isn't for me.
wierd 2,5
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.
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.
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)
8/9
Interesting, as björk often is
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.
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.
She's good shit
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.
Pretty good album
No thanks
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.
Great album, love the instrumentals and the vocals.
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."
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
Very long.
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
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.
Im clearly not sophisticated enough for Bjork
La fée dans la forêt
j’écoute Björk en rentrant chez moi avec un kebab délicieux dans mon sac à main girl i am LIVING
hvalsang og øde landskap. Det funker, men det er ikke zen
This is exactly what I'd expect of a Björk album
Whoa do I like Bjork? Kind of! Yes!
oh this ruled
Bjork op z’n Bjorkst
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.
Ik heb het uitgeluisterd, maar ik kon er maar weinig vis van maken
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.
Mooi.
It's hard to deescribe the inteeresting musicality of Bjork. It was well worth the listen whatever the hell it was
Too many Bjorrrrk albums on herrrre. This isn't one of the betterrrrr ones. 🏴☠️
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.
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.
Cette fois c'est trop, mon camarade d'écoute robpelletière avait raison depuis le début: Björk c'est nul
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
Sehr schwer reinzukommen
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.
This record makes my knees tremble. I wanked so hard that my helmet came off.
No
pretty and chill
ну это на удивление приятнее чем первый альбом Шугаркьюбз (который мне альбомы поставили). всё ещё не моё, но музыкальность красивая