RZR said:

What a shitty review!

GangstaFam said:

i agree with some of the criticisms to a very small extent, but not to the point that i would rate the album as low as they did. but they'd lose cred if they slobbered all over a major label artist with a large following, unless they were being precious and contrarian and championing someone like justin timberlake (which pitchfork has done, bless their hearts). the politics of that site makes my teeth ache, but what can you do?

another thing that makes bjork REALLY prone to unfair reviews is that she does not make "immediate" music. her albums take weeks, months, sometimes YEARS to really sink in. you kinda have to live with them for a while and one day something in one of her songs finally clicks. "ahhh, THAT'S what she was going on about, THAT'S what she was trying to do! AHA!" it's the AHA moments that make bjork's music so brilliant. and you can't capture that in a review after spinning the CD once or twice. but again...what can ya do?

Anx said:

Strangely enough, Bjork's albums are among the only albums (and I listen to a lot of music) that strike me on first listen. I can see how each time she comes out she presents you with an acquired taste. But maybe because the music I make and the way I think might be most closely related to someone like her, I usually get it straight away. Not to say that I don't get any mystery or wonder or layers from her work, just that it's an instant fit.

Now I could see if the reviewer only liked songs like "There's More To Life Than This" or "Fucking In Rhythm And Sorrow" that they might not care for what she's turned out in the last decade. But to me, I think from Homogenic onward she's proven her musical worth outside of the cultural phenomenon of The Sugarcubes, early electronica, remix culture and 90's alterna-chick style. Her unique pop smarts might not be on display in the same way they were in the mid-90's, but I think she's pushing her boundaries musically with each release more than anyone else making music right now.

pitchfork can suck my coup d'etat

Untouchable said:

What's that spose ta mean?

It means there's going to be a sudden overview of our government by some really volatile earth intruders, and hipsters can only hope to be spared, as cool as they think they are. Think antibellum.

Untouchable said:

I think hipsters can count on being turned into wanderslush.

Pookie-Pie! You're the X-Tray!

Untouchable said:

POOK said:

see? the monkey understands!

Anx said:

I kinda agree. But I do love the sticker and the book. I'm tempted to buy another copy, hack the shit out of it and put it in a proper jewel case.

GangstaFam said:

wait for the special edition, for the love of all that's good and holy!

do we even KNOW what's in the special edition? i see there's a dvd with it?

if it was detailed on this thread i missed it when i was trying to be all spoiler-free.

anyway, ya never know what SWAG we'll walk away with (ok, stumble away with) at the end of the bjork party friday night.

Anx said:

I want a life-sized standup!

If you're a member, check this out for special edition stats:

http://4um.bjork.com/view...hp?t=14367

GangstaFam said:

hmm. underwhelming. i was hoping it would at least be whelming.

Anx said:

I'm just hoping for great singles.

GangstaFam said:

that would be nice. this album is a remixer's wet dream, really. i hope she does a remix album like 'telegram'...it would work.

Anx said:

Way. Remixes have taken an upward swing in the past few years too.

I'm still salty that the planned remix album for Homo never panned out. They had a contest to name it and everything. It would've rocked!

i really tried. i still love "earth intruders"... but i just can't listen to it.

NorthernLad said:

it's not my favorite bjork album, and i don't think it's going to be.

not to say that i don't like it. i do like it. A LOT.

but vespertine and homogenic have nothing to worry about - not by a long shot.

of course, ask me again next year and i'll have probably changed my middle name to 'voltafam' or something.

Anx said:

I think I'm sadly giving up on solo Bjork... I buy every album she does, hoping I will finally "get" it, but ultimately it ends up collecting dust. There are a few songs here and there that I really like, but that's about it. And it's odd, because I adored The Sugarcubes. I just think her voice worked better over that kinda quirky, off-kilter rock of The Sugarcubes. So many of her solo songs just seem tuneless to me.

I think she's an incredible artist that I respect a great deal, but she's just not for me. Maybe if I got really really really really high one night it would suddenly "click" for me, but I dunno... I just ain't feeling it, sadly.

I'll just put on "Life's Too Good", sit back, and enjoy the good ol' days!

NorthernLad said:

As much as I love The Sugarcubes, I honestly feel like they were holding her back compared to what she's come up with since.

But you're right though. If you've tried this hard and this long, you can pretty much consider it a done deal. She's probably not for you.

O is for Volta

my initial review upon listening to it while returning from my miami invasion (yeah...i just got home right now)...

what the F*CK is up with the packaging?

why do half the songs feel like filler?

why does bjork have two songs w/ featured vocals on a ten song cd?

and why is this thread's sticky removed the day of the release?

well, one of these things i can fix.

...

does anyone know if the special edition will come in a jewel case?

it's just that i hate these digipacks and this one looked horrible
so i didn't even buy it



i did the same with musicology. i only bought it once it was there
in stores in a jewelbox edition.

fcuz, if it's not released in jewelbox edition at all i will go and
buy the digipack but i'm reluctant to right now.

regarding the album's content i don't want to say too much about it
just yet.

all i know is that i like most of it except for vertebrae/pneumonia
and even my juvenile.

but that means nothing since i didn't like "unravel" for the first
six months or something



can you imagine that? i'm still ashamed of that lol.

so no doubt these tracks i don't like right now will become sort of
favorits in the future once i tire of the rest of the album.

still, i am hoping there will be at least one bouncy poppy thomping
b-side non album track that i will be able to use as lubricant for
the album's dull patch inbetween vertebrae and pneumonia.

IstenSzek said:

that's why i don't wanna come down too hard on this album just yet, because it usually takes a while for a bjork album to sink in with me. also, seeing a new album performed live can change how i hear it, so after this weekend i may have a whole new take on it. or not.

Anx said:

exactly! although, i won't see her until july 8. so by that time i will
probably know the album on all different layers.

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