Medulla, Bjork, Interscope
On her fifth album, Icelandic indie-rock diva Bjork has outdone her own habitual weirdness. Rather than, say, use instruments, Medulla is an elaborately produced, almost entirely vocal album. Thankfully, where she lost instrumentation, she gained some of the most accomplished vocal performers available.
Crazed human beat-box Rahzel, formerly of the Roots, provides most of the rhythm section, and freak-rocker Mike Patton’s deep baritone plays off Bjork’s alto on a few tracks. To top it off, several Icelandic throat singers make cameos, and two full choirs sing throughout.
It’s the flawless production work that makes Medulla such a fascinating listen. While there are certainly challenging songs, most notably the hyperventilating strangeness of “Ancestors,” the majority of the album is beautiful, intriguing, and deeply moving.
Opener “Pleasure Is All Mine” drifts in on the strength of Bjork’s coos and sighs, and builds over a deep beat from Rahzel and undulating choral accompaniment. “Where is the Line” is a small miracle of glitch production, while the two Icelandic tracks on the album focus more on Bjork’s vocal range and the superb Icelandic Choir rather than ultra-modern hip hop.
The standout track, “Who Is It,” combines a chopped-up beat with Bjork’s huge, arching delivery. The lead single, “Oceania,” which Bjork performed at the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, doesn’t quite match the triumphant choruses of “Who is It,” but it comes close. The album closes with both the most marketable and upbeat song, “Triumph of a Heart,” an enormously funky tour de force.
Without hearing it, you could write off Medulla as a pretentious diva’s art-house project. While the album does not match the soaring beauty of Bjork’s 1995 masterpiece, Post, it is a step forward from 2001’s disappointing Vespertine. Enormously ambitious and likely to be rather divisive among her fanbase, Medulla may well be one of the weirdest and most impressive steps yet for a woman who already wore a swan to the Oscars.
-P.S. Hepburn
Riot on an Empty Street, Kings of Convenience, Astralwerks
Riot on an Empty Street marks the end of a three-year hiatus of indie-pop group the Kings of Convenience. The duo, Norwegian musicians Erlend ?ye and Eirik Glamber B?e, gained modest fame several years ago after releasing Quiet is the New Loud, an album characterized by a laid-back pop sound resembling Simon & Garfunkel. The tunes on Riot continue this trend, as acoustic guitars and the smooth, soothing vocals of ?ye and B?e remain the focus.
Both musicians display their versatility and skill throughout the album, each playing guitar, drums, horns and the piano. The most distinguishing feature of the record, however, is the beautiful two-part harmonies created when ?ye and B?e sing together. The opening track, “Homesick,” is a good example of the duo’s vocal skills and the album as a whole. With ?ye on electric guitar and B?e on acoustic, the two sing in soft voices about the loneliness of being a young, single professional who, “doesn’t know where home is.”
Although Riot is consistent with the Kings’ previous albums, it’s a sharp contrast from ?ye’s recent solo work. Despite his nerdy appearance, ?ye has risen to become one of the most prominent DJs on the indie circuit over the past two years courtesy of his albums Unrest and DJ Kicks. Nevertheless, he has failed to integrate this newfound interest in dance music with the Kings’ whimsical style.
Riot, while beautiful and peaceful, becomes quite monotonous after several songs, as the Kings fail to display much innovation. The lone exception is “I’d Rather Dance with You,” the only track with a danceable beat. The chorus, “I’d rather dance with you than talk with you,” is intended to be a playful comment, but the Kings should follow this advice in the future—focusing more on ?ye’s dance impulses than their tired soft-pop formula.
-Ryan Booth
