Bjork - 'Volta' (One Little Indian) Released 07/05/07

With instruments back in the fold and vocals returned to their usual self (No Inuit throat music to be heard here) our favourite Icelandic pixie has returned with her latest offering ‘Volta’. The album finds Bjork divided between her old self pre-’Medulla’ with the occasional trip in ‘Vespertine’ like insularity and yet also moments of the 90s exuberant Bjork ala ‘Debut’. As it is has always been with the lady from Iceland ‘Volta’ rarely settles into any particular pattern and we’re instead treated to a schizophrenic serving that jumps violently between oriental strings, orchestral overtones, violent drum thrashing electronica and minimalist melodic phases.

Like nearly every Bjork album ‘Volta’ is of one of moods and feelings created by sonic movements be it through the music or the undulating nature of her piercing voice. It opens with the mushy marching of ‘Earth Intruders’, the boots giving way to drums and our protagonists trademark shrieks. Produced by Timbaland it is the closest you will probably get to a Bjork ‘pop’ song in a long while ( For the first four minutes anyhow) as the unremitting beats push you on and on into the mesmeric nature of the vocal before we’re left confused by the juxtaposing sound of random ship horns against the backdrop of a seaside field recording that closes the track.

Timbaland once again works his magic on ’Innocence’ which pulsates on a bed of glitchy electro thrusts like a missing track of the latest Nelly Furtado but without the nauseating R&B-lite overtones of the Canadian popstrel. Elsewhere the first track featuring Anthony Hegarty (sans Johnsons) ‘Dull Flames Of Desire’ opens magisterially with brass band in full flow. It broods for nigh on seven minutes, building as it goes with Bjork’s high pitch contrasting against Hegarty’s deep drone. It most definitely isn’t one for the faint hearted or the impatient but manages to work because of its shear grandiosity. Equally grand is the orchestral ‘Vertebrae By Vertabrae’ which could easily soundtrack the vital moments of a dimly lit thriller and ‘Pneumonia’ which takes a more melancholic lilt as it traverses a mournful advance of stripped down brass.

‘Volta’ doesn’t always work so beautifully however and if we’re to be honest the closing three tracks are the weakest here. The first of which is the final produced by Timbaland, ‘Hope’, which feels lightweight in comparisons to its predecessors on the album and the lyrics with Bjork questioning “What's the lesser of two evils?/ If a suicide bomber made to look pregnant manages to kill her target or not” baffle rather than getting any profound message across. ‘Declare Independence’ has good intentions, dark and disturbing electronic hardcore, but falls short because it is so out of context with the rest of the album while ‘My Juvenile’, the second track to feature Anthony Hegarty, never reaches the heights it seems to promise at the start.

After thirty years of making music it is still impossible to point to where Bjork will go next (Who’d of thought she would work with someone like Timbaland?) and that is why she is such a beguiling prospect. While ‘Volta’ may not be her most complete offering to date it still asks more questions of the listener in one song than most acts will in several albums. It is destined for many an end of year list and it should be destined for your ears too.