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Volta | 
| Artist: Bjoerk
Label: Atlantic / Wea
Category: Music
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $14.99
You Save: $4.99 (25%)
Rating:  134 reviews
Sales Rank: 4670
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.3
MPN: 135868
UPC: 075678998980
EAN: 0075678998980
ASIN: B000NVIXFA
Release Date: May 8, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Promotion: Save $5.00 when you spend $25.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Amazon.com. Enter code BMLSAVES at checkout. Terms and Conditions
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| Tracks:
| • | Earth Intruders | | • | Wanderlust | | • | The Dull Flame Of Desire | | • | Innocence | | • | I See Who You Are | | • | Vertebrae By Vertebrae | | • | Pneumonia | | • | Hope | | • | Declare Independence | | • | My Juvenile |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Bjoerk's main asset as a musician is her fearlessness. Since the end of The Sugarcubes and the pop-dance of Debut, she has released progressively more experimental records. But after well over a decade of going further and further out, Volta steps back. Make no mistake; this is Bjoerk, and so it's still fabulously weird. Like 2004's mesmerizing Medulla and the 2005 soundtrack for Drawing Restraint 9, the songs are blissfully peculiar, with narratives about love, offspring, aliens...you name it. Yet melodically and philosophically, Volta recycles more than it innovates; the driving pulse of "Declare Independence," for instance, reminds us of Homogenic's "Pluto," and the lead single "Earth Intruders" sounds like Post's "Army of Me" on steroids. And just as Medulla oriented itself around a certain instrument--the human voice--this one concentrates on horns. Still, the transition between her early work and the avant-garde bender she's been on since Vespertine is pretty harrowing, and it's satisfying to hear Bjoerk revisit her more accessible self. Uber-producer Timbaland pitches in here and there, most successfully on "Innocence," which uses a fat, disjointed pulse to drive the euphoric vocals forward. Elsewhere, the hyperactive sitar sample on "I See Who You Are" provides texture for the song's theme of enjoying each other while there's still "flesh on our bones." And "Pneumonia" makes fantastic use of the horn section with a soft arrangement that compliments the song's lyrical melody. So while it's a bit of a stall, Volta is a lovely pause. It reminds us how much we appreciate the laboratory of Bjoerk's imagination, but also how much we missed her back when she was just goofing around. -Matthew Cooke
Album Description
Bjork returns to her iconic, innovative and rhythmic roots with Volta. Featuring her own infamous beats and collaborations with Timbaland, Antony Hegarty, Brian Chippendale and an all-female Icelandic brass section, the end result is an explosion of beats and an amalgamtion of sound and visuals that give Volta a life of its own, like the world hasn't seen from Bjork in years.
Album Description
Bjoerk returns to her iconic, innovative and rhythmic roots in 2007 with Volta - her sixth studio album, and the first to feature the Icelandic artist's infamous beats since Vespertine. Volta was produced and written entirely by Bjoerk herself, featuring contributions and collaborations from the likes of Timbaland, Antony Hegarty (of Antony and The Johnsons), Brian Chippendale (from Lightning Bolt), and also includes appearances from an all female Icelandic brass section and Chinese pipa players. The end result is an explosion of beats, and an amalgamation of sound and visuals that give Volta a life of its own like the world hasn't seen from Bjoerk in years.Bjoerk will be launching her first world tour since 2003 to support Volta, beginning with a headlining performance at Coachella. Bjoerk has also confirmed various festival appearances throughout 2007 including Coachella, Glastonbury, Werchter and Roskilde. Bjoerk makes her triumphant return to radio in April with the first single, Earth Intruders (featuring a collaboration from Timbaland).
Album Details
Produced by Timbaland and featuring Two Duets with Antony (Antony and the Johnsons) and a Collaboration with Rhode Island's Lightning Bolt. Includes the Bonus Track "i See who You Are" (Mark Bell Mix).
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| Customer Reviews: Read 129 more reviews...
 Mediocre for Bjork September 5, 2008
J. Brewer (Houston, TX)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just to give a brief summary as to where I stand as a Bjoerk fan before I dive in...I think her first two albums (Debut/Post) are both great records. Yet, she was a little more naive at the time and didn't have as much control creatively. But she was learning. With her next two releases, Homogenic and Vespertine, she began to break away from the poppy sounds of the first two and began to write (she began having more control over the writing), darker, bleaker records. So not only did she begin to define her sound and really become the unique artist she is, but they where also simply brilliant, amazing records. With Medulla she came up with an interesting concept, yet it was simply too hard to listen to in the context of a record. For me atleast.
My point is, Bjoerk has been getting better and better, up until Medulla where things simply got TOO weird. It hurt the record and I think she crossed the line in that aspect. In her newest release, Volta, she returned to square one and tried to create something more in the flavor of a modern day Post. Well, this made perfect sense. Now I know she won't make another Vespertine, but with the creative control she's had to define her sound over the past 10 years then we should get a great return to form...right? Not so.
Three problems with Volta. 1.) Vocals are not very well written. None of the lyrics are catchy and just don't carry the emotional impact Bjoerk put into them in the past. She just kind of rambles, which is unusual for her. 2.) The albums does not have it's own unique SOUND, as her past records have each had. The asian strings/brass/horns almost make that happen, but just don't dominate enough of the record. 3.) Her vocals are mixed WAY too high. Whoever mixed the album needs to be shot. Considering how sharp and high pitched her voice can be, it's easy for her to overpower the electronics. In Homogenic, the electronics/beats where mixed to be just about as loud as her voice, which also gave the listener a feeling of an overwhelming sonic attack on the senses. There is some great instrumentation on Volta, it's just not implemented correctly.
To touch on a few tracks, I think Earth Intruders is sort of average compared to some of her past works. A weak single. Wanderlust is much better, and features the L.F.O. infected sound of Homogenic with fast paced, slicing electronics. Problem is...the vocals on it are weak for Bjork, with the electronics mixed too low under them to the point where they don't provide the correct "punch". Innocence is a strong track of similar nature, packing a repetitive rhythm crunch that totally smacks you in the face, and the vocals are actually very good. The Dull Flame of Desire and Vertebrae both feature beautiful orchestration and better vocals, but the former is a little drawn out and is too long. Pneumonia is also very nice and relaxing, making good use of horns and rain effects. The HUGE letdown of Volta is Declare Independence, seeing how it is a collaboration with producer Mark Bell, who helped make Homogenic such a great record. It's easily one of, maybe the worst song she's written. The closer, Hope is kind of bland.
Overall, a mediocre album from Bjoerk. She has, and can, do better than this.
 One half star August 12, 2008
SRS (Oxford Ohio)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Where to begin? I managed to get through most of the songs, but had to skip through parts of some. The Dull Flame of Desire, which I was ready to pronounce the worst Bjork song ever after listening to it isn't actually the worst Bjork song ever. There are worse songs after it on this disc. It's horrible. While there are times where her singing is vastly improved over Medulla and sounds almost as good as some of Homogenic, the songs themselves are utterly artless at best, and at worst - terribly grating. There is not a good song on this disc. The only good thing I've heard from this period is the Mark Bell remix of I See Who You Are. Although "good" is being really really generous there, it was the one song that didn't make me cringe.
Bjork still has plenty of singing talent which shows here, but the songwriting, lyrically and musically, is at the bottom of the barrel. It can't really get any worse than this. She needs to find a really talented producer, composer, and lyricist who will write the material for her. Her voice is still there. The music isn't.
Voltage May 20, 2008
Stefan Hayes
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Be it not for the little slices of heaven on this LP:
"Declare Independence"
"Earth Intruders"
this collection would be refuse.
Timbaland is a joke. I don't like the way Bjoerk has travelled here.
Be it not for her voice, and the two tunes mentioned, this LP would receive 1 star.
I still love you Ms. Gudmunsdottir, and I look forward to meeting you again, on your next adventure.
 play a volta! May 4, 2008
Darryl K. Clark (springfield, missouri)
i have always enjoyed bjork for what she gives to the world through her music. i don't ever want to take her too seriously or overanalyze her. i'm sure she doesn't enjoy that either.
i appreciate her encounters with timbaland, particularly 'innocence'. that song is a lot of fun and i can't wait for the remixes to start spinning at the clubs. it's going to make for some great, saucy dancing!
i also got a huge rise out of the song 'vertebrae by vertebrae'. the insistent stamping and those accents on the second beat are delicious!
Typical Bjork April 21, 2008
Mrs. THM Edwards
I didn't like the duets as they don't have the power of Bjork's other songs. Bkork's songs are strange and moving.
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