Björk
Utopia
[One Little Indian]
In the opening lines of her solo debut Björk delve immediately into the most prominent recurring lyrical theme on her accepted opus. Twenty-five years later, Björk is more optimistic in her continued search for logic amidst confusion.
Musically, there is a spirited softness and sentimentality running throughout the seventy-one minutes of immersive electronic melodies. The fluidity of the record is exceptional. It could be listened to as one piece of work that steadily evolves over time, and is best enjoyed in this way.
Björk’s strongest artistic attribute is captivating audiences. She has the ability to command attention with a ten-minute long song like Body-Material because she uses her time consciously; touching on subjects spanning environmental issues to sexuality. Furthermore, the textural layers throughout are intricate, enticing the listener to fully ingest every element of the record. The juxtaposition of live instrumentation and technology yields blissful combinations of drum machines, harp, flute and synth.
Sometimes artists fearless in the face of creative experimentation can lose the run of themselves, venturing from the overall narrative into the abyss. Fortunately, this is not the case with Utopia which is coherent, inviting and accessible to all.
Words – Zara Hedderman
Like This? Try these:
Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions – Until The Hunter
Arca – Arca
ANOHNI – Hopelessness
