Honestly, @Psycho is probably Björk herself, so I believe them if they say she never said something dd
So... after a week between us, here are my humble thoughts about Fossora. In general, I found it a VERY complex album, but at the same time much more accessible than the other two in the trilogy. It's a dense yet tenuous album; it's eclectic yet cohesive; it is dark but full of light. There is a very beautiful balance. Atopos - One of the best things she's ever done. A new classic was born. It's breathtaking, it's intrepid, it's addictive and it represents the album a lot. Ovule - another new classic Björk "midtempo ballad", lol. It's really cute. The lyrics are tender, the horns are just infectious. Mycelia - Little Medúllish cuteness. Sorrowful Soil - Just delicious and engaging. I love the DID DID DID more towards the end. Ancestress - Again, it has an incredible/impeccable production and the lyrics are beautiful. The clip is fantastic and eye-catching. I love Sindrí's voice. HOWEVER, the song as a whole doesn't work for me. I wish it was just instrumental with the lyrics spoken in an interlude afterwards. It's too long, it makes me anxious for it to end. Fagurt Er í Fjörðum - Sweet. What a delightful interlude. I REALLY wanted it to be a whole song. It somehow reminds me of Desired Constellation. Victimhood - Sinister! Björk Bossa Nova is dark as fuck. The song involves you in such a way that you can't go out. It's very inviting, it's sensitive, it's a masterpiece. Allow - I was one of those who immediately turned up his nose when I heard it for the first time because it reminded me of Utopia, which I consider the most boring album of her career. But it's a fun song and I'll always remember that @theincredibleflipper told us it was the song to dance to. And it really is! I can't resist moving my hips in a classic auntie dance. Fungal City - The little auntie dance extends here. This part of the record is very folkloric, isn't it?! It's funny, fun, naughty, it's pretty cool. Trölla-Gabba - Super fun, a kind of scary party, funny movie, I think it's great. Freefall - Beautiful... it really reminds me a lot of Vespertine. I love how the song builds up to the lit end. I'm sure there will be a live performance with a lot of passion. Fossora - I would switch places in the tracklisting order with Freefall. I love it very much. I can't help but repeat the ending at least 3 times before continuing to listen to the end of the album. Her Mother's House - Royal masterpiece. The version without Isadóra doesn't have the same intensity, her vocals really add a mega extra to the song. It's very beautiful, it's passionate, it's a delicate tribute and love statement. Anyway, I'm very happy with this album. Very happy with the delivery, with the critical acclaim. I really wanted her to do at least one live show. It's gonna be awesome.
As far as later Björk lead singles go, I think Atopos is the best one since Earth Intruders. It manages to be more engaging and dynamic than Crystalline, and I also like it more than Stonemilker (though to be fair they are so different that the comparison is kinda unfair). I really don’t care for The Gate at all.
With this album, I can see each track name and hear the song in my head. With the last 2-3 albums, there's songs I couldn't tell you how they went if you put a gun to my head.
I appreciate how dynamic it is, but I’d actually rank “Atopos” pretty low on her lead singles list. Just really goes to show her amazing level of quality.
Nn I can remember all of them now, but it definitely took me a long time with Vulnicura, and even longer with Utopia, I think I only got around to it last year.
The other way around with me but maybe because I saw a couple Vulnicura shows early on I had them burnt into my brain. Definitely a very instant album.
I’m kind of obsessed with what a Bjork “second half of career” Greatest Hits would look like, starting from Medulla to Fossora, any track list suggestions?
I tried to mix both what I think a "most voted by fans" tracklist order would look like (like the first one was) but also make it flow nicely from one song to the next: 1. Stonemilker 2. Oceania 3. Wanderlust 4. Who Is It (Bell Choir Mix) 5. Crystalline 6. Earth Intruders 7. Mutual Core 8. Lionsong 9. Black Lake 10. Atopos 11. Triumph of a Heart 12. Arisen My Senses 13. The Gate 14. Desired Constellation 15. Cosmogony 16. Declare Independence With a couple more Fossora songs somewhere (no idea which ones) and a new song at the end.
Björk's second half -- stars with a bang and ends beautifully with Lionsong's strings. Spoiler: Björk's second half. 1 Earth Intruders. 2 Atopos. 3 Triumph of a Heart. 4 Declare Independence. 5 Who Is It. 6 Stonemilker. 7 Blissing Me. 8 Moon. 9 Crystalline. 10 Innocence. 11 The Gate. 12 Ovule. 13 Náttúra. 14 Oceania. 15 Lionsong.
Earth Intruders (Mark Stent Extended Mix) Triumph of a Heart Arisen My Senses Lionsong Wanderlust Atopos Mutual Core Oceania The Gate not that I have any desire of having it in the tracklist Stonemilker Ancestress Innocence Crystalline Fossora Declare Independence Who Is It (Bell Choir Mix)
What a stark contrast between Medulla and the other albums, by the way. Medulla sounds super melodic comparing it to further album releases. To think 'Medulla' would be the definition of 'melodic' back in the day, oh how times have changed!
Björk has a message for all the right-wingers of the Conservative Melody Party: Don’t provoke her or she’ll welcome-to-Bangkok you on the next album.
Every new Björk album gets called not melodic and then it's taken as an exemplary case of melody craftsmanship the very moment her next record comes out.
It’s not really about being “melodic”, but the poppiest moments in Fossora/Utopia aren’t really comparable to the poppiest moments in Medúlla/Volta in terms of traditional structure, catchiness, easy digestibility, etc. I think that is pretty clear.
Well I would put 10 Black Lakes but I thought there were so many 7+ minute tracks already in my tracklist ññ
You can play Earth Intruders or Innocence at a party and while both aren't Crazy In Love people would maybe accept it and just sway along. You can't really play anything from the last three albums or Biophilia without having to expect a very muted reaction. I think that's what people are referring too. There are melodies and there are classic structures in Vulnicura, Utopia and Fossora. It is kind of like how some people have complained for a while that Bey doesn't do Bangerz anymore. It mostly translated into Bey doesn't do easy radio hits any more. Which still wasn't true just as it was never true that Vulnicura und Utopia have been some unapproachable avantgarde records that are impossible to get into. Now Renaissance and Fossora brought back some tempo and hooks and everybody is on board again. Which is ok. And not everything Björk did was great. Speaking of Bey and Björk together I need to say how Stonemilker and Pray You Catch Me both were absolutely brillant but heart breaking openers of albums that dealt with relationships. The way both songs end with immaculate string compositions kills this man. Career highlights and pure pain.
It's the way I can't hardly ever finish "Stonemilker" every time I play it because I alway get caught up in the strings behind her voice when she says at last the view is fierce. Call me hyperbolic but that's the single most stunningly beautiful melody ever written for strings in the history of music.
