Bjork Volta CD

Bjork has always been one to follow her muse, and after 2004's MEDULLA, a foray into the sonic avant garde, one had to wonder if she would continue following it straight into the abstract outer limits. But 2007's VOLTA marks something of a return to pop form for Bjork. Not to say that the album is conventional by any stretch--it's still Bjork, after all--but there is greater evidence of her pop sensibility than on any album since 1997's HOMOGENIC.

The album's first single, "Earth Intruders," is a case in point. An exhilarating tribal stomp boasting production by Timbaland and clanking orchestration from the Congolese ensemble Konono No. 1, the track is a stunning opening salvo. VOLTA offers other moments of hip-shaking thunder ("Innocence"), alongside more melodic, contemplative fare such as "Wanderlust" and "The Dull Flame of Desire," which features the gorgeous voice of Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons. Varied, engaging, and wildly imaginative front to back, VOLTA is another remarkable release from one of pop's reigning geniuses.

Coming off the heels of her quirky, but no less enjoyable for it, 2007 album VOLTA, Icelandic songstress Bjork has released the multi-disc box set VOLTAIC, a deluxe package filled with VOLTA-related live recordings, remixes, videos, and concert tour highlights. Available in no less than five different packagings, including single disc, multi-disc, and multi-disc plus vinyl configurations, there is enough Bjork material on offer here to please even the most diehard fanatic.

Leave it to Bjork to make a live album set that can be treated as part of her regular body of work rather than a side note. VOLTAIC reaffirms just how important the live aspect is to her music, and provides a couple of different perspectives on it as well. VOLTA sparked a particularly inspired and lavish tour that, arguably, ended up being bigger than the actual album, tapping into the most dramatic, primal and elegant aspects of Bjork's art overall. It's fitting, then, that the chronicles of the VOLTA tour are just as thoughtfully crafted as the shows were (and since VOLTAIC comes in several different releases ranging from a single live disc to a CD, DVD and vinyl extravaganza, fans can pick the size that suits them best). Given that the live CD was recorded in better conditions than many studio albums get, it's no surprise that the sound quality is excellent. This is not a warts-and-all concert recording with the occasional muddy audio and lots of crowd interaction; instead, it feels like listener is hiding in a studio booth as Bjork and her band perform a flawless rehearsal.Spin (p.90) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[W]hether she's orchestrating a B-movie death march or a seaside fantasia, her vision is worth the price of submission."
The Wire (p.52) - "[An] excellent album....She is clearly controlling and shaping the direction of these tracks, forging something foreign and idiosyncratic but without a hint of kookiness."
The Wire (p.35) - Included in The Wire's "50 Records of the Year 2007".
Vibe (p.70) - "With grace and gumption, she creates a dazzling sonic cosmos all her own."
Global Rhythm (Publication) (p.52) - "VOLTA is a collection of frequently unexpected and mostly quite enjoyable sounds. Take it as a contiguous work, unique and worthy of repeated listening..."
Q (Magazine) (p.82) - Ranked #19 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007" -- "[Her] most vibrant album in 10 years."