I like music that is cold, imaginative and quiet. Released in 2001, Bjork’s fifth album Vespertine fits all three descriptions perfectly. Living up to its name, there is nothing loud or brash about Vespertine. Instead, it is beautiful, subtle pop music made up of frozen electronic whispers.
There is a sense of maturity and stillness to this album that I really like. It doesn’t really seem to tell a story, but rather the aftermath of a story. Vespertine is an epilogue, creating something powerful and meaningful about little things, rather than grand, epic ones. There are so many emotions and moods explored here, all contained within its wintry atmosphere. Vespertine casts no shadows, but it is still definitely nocturnal in nature. Its iciness is not illuminated, but is still too white to allow for any darkness. Its glacial crevices are deep and complex.
The coldness it deals with is not a clinical sort of coldness, or at least not totally. The electronic and the organic (Bjork used samples of ice and snow for some of the songs) are not juxtaposed, but softly conjoined and married to one another.
My favourite song is definitely Cocoon; the sounds in the background remind me of a muffled, sped-up and erratic heartbeat, which perfectly suits its slightly innocent and calm description of intimacy. Sun In My Mouth is like having your back broken into splinters while fed a delicious fruit, Frosti is a delicate interlude and Pagan Poetry is powerful in its desire, and perhaps even a little bit creepy. In all, it has to be one of the most perfect things I’ve ever listened to- the only song I don’t really like is It’s Not Up To You, mostly because it just doesn’t fit with the rest. Despite this, though, it’s still a good song, and so I’m giving Vespertine 5/5.
I hope that everybody reading this has a lovely Christmas Eve.
I like that album, too, and her earlier ones as well. I like the way you describe it. π
Thanks. π Bjork is adorable. Do you like Debut?
Yes Debut is pretty awesome. I also like Homogenic and Post. More recently she did a duet or two with Antony Hegerty. Have you heard Antony & the Johnsons? I’m thinking you’d like “The Lake” by them (lyrics by Edgar Allan Poe).
I really need to listen to more Bjork. I like what I’ve heard of Homogenic, but I’ve only listened to three of her albums in full yet.
The Lake is beautiful. Thanks for telling me about it!
If I didn’t know of Bjork or this album and read your review, I would run out and buy it. It’s so hard to describe music, especially hers, and you do it so well. π
Pagan Poetry is my favorite from this album. The video for Cocoon is so cool. Her videos just have the best visuals. Gah.
A musician and photographer that I really like actually goes by the name Vespertine for his music. He is hugely inspired by Bjork. His real name is Brian Ziff. Pretty rad.
Thank you so much, Asylum. π I always get worried when talking about music, because I know nothing about the technical side of it. π
It was Cocoon’s video that got me interested in Vespertine.
Brian Ziff certainly seems like the kind of thing you love. π
That’s a brilliant piece of writing!! π “It doesnβt really seem to tell a story, but rather the aftermath of a story. Vespertine is an epilogue, creating something powerful and meaningful about little things, rather than grand, epic ones.” ~ is stop-on!
Personally, I think ‘Vespertine’ is an album that actually *improves* with headphones listening rather than speakers, lending it an extra intimacy. Ye thoughts?
Thank you so much. π
I definitely agree with what you say about headphones. It hadn’t occurred to me before, but I tried it out and I can see what you mean. π