Björk – Utopia (2017, One Little Indian)
Björk’s latest album is sublime, a collection of musically adventurous songs that ponder the apathy and joy of discovering love again. Utopia showcases Björk’s incredible breadth as a singer and an auteur of sound. Its production shines, with elements of birdsong gently meandering throughout the celestial “Arisen My Senses,” to the gorgeously enchanting title-track, “Utopia.” Tracks like these allow Björk to flourish her experimental leanings, while sharpening a newfound proclivity for ambient soundscape. The album is a personal manifesto about the gestational period of dating, progressing through moments of sheer ecstasy to fascination. The textures she tinkers with in these compositions both confuse and spark the audience’s curiosity, dissolving the lines between her soft-edged timbre and the lush orchestral arrangements behind her. The most gratifying melodies on the album surge with the ebb and flow of crashing waves. If Björk’s breathtaking octave range is any indication, the musicality displayed on Utopia is pure magic.
Rating: 8.8/10
Trial Track: “Utopia”
