This album starts off with “Arisen My Sense”, and this is really everything I wanted to hear from a Bjork intro. This is absolutely stunning, rivaling just how serene and colorful “Vulnicura” was in moments. But I think that Arca’s production really does add just a small bit of an edge to this. It’s nothing crazy, but maybe this isn’t as beautiful underneath as it is on the surface. “Arisen My Senses” is beautiful, but it’s also intense in a weird way. As far as Bjork goes, your damn right she’s on top of her game. I honestly feel like with age she’s gotten more and more comfortable with her vocals. And the result is that every time I end up hearing her, she sounds more over-the-top and stunning than usual. Hell yes, this is an eye-opening intro, I just really hope she can keep it up. “Blissing Me” is up next, and it’s becoming apparent just how delicate this album is no matter how much Arca does to spice things up a bit. And this track here is one of the most delicate and angelic sounding of the bunch. It’s sweet and certainly pleasant. But nothing about this one, since I first heard it a while back, as really reached out and grabbed me and made me come back for another listen. I still think it’s an OK track, the instrumentals are sweet as ever and haunting. But I’ve just heard Bjork give us plenty of more interesting performances. I do however, continue to really love Arca’s production, and just how uneasy this track is. On the other hand, “The Gate” is sort of mesmerizing right off the bat. Trust me, it’s just as fragile-sounding and sweet all around. But between the absolutely chilling atmosphere, featuring ghoulish vocal samples and uneasy ambience paired up with Bjork’s chilling performance, this one sticks with you. I love just how quiet this one is, and how alone Bjork really comes off. It’s moments like this that really make me think she was on to something with this album’s concept. Her performance is just as hypnotic as it was on some of her classic albums. But like I said, these atmospheres continue to make this a real shout out of left field from Bjork. “The Gate” is whimsical and fantasy-oriented, but it still has just enough bite. The flute continues to be a huge part of this album with it’s title track “Utopia”, and I’m just fine with that. It really brings in a sense of vulnerability to this album. But with every sweet flute solo and airy atmosphere, it’s Arca’s performance underneath that keeps you questioning what the hell you’re actually listening to. Bjork sure does take her time coming in on this one, but it is worth it for the most part. “Utopia” overall is one that once again has plenty to like, from the production and the instrumentals that I’ve chatted about, to Bjork’s once again very haunting performance. But while I’ve enjoyed this one the first few times I’ve heard it this one has lessened on me over time. This is the first time here that I’ve noticed this great disconnect between Arca and Bjork. His production and Bjork’s performance just seem to be on a completely different planet. It adds to just how uneasy this one comes off, but at the end of the day I’m just not feeling it. On the other hand, “Body Memory” has a real sense of intrigue and mystery that immediately draws me in. Even Bjork’s usual sort of chilling performance seems so much more punchy and aggressive. Arca’s production here takes a major backseat here, only bringing to the table some ambient sounds. The strings here are powerful, the flute adds to the serious mystique of everything, and Bjork ends up bringing out one of her most powerful performances here. Now, “Body Memory” is about 10 minutes long. But, to be honest, it’s one of the most accessible and interesting listens here. As it goes on, Arca becomes more and more prevalent, bringing in the same chilling beats he has been dishing out for years. But it’s Bjork’s flooring performance that’s the star on this one and it really doesn’t let up. It’s an empowering performance from Bjork, and it’s incredible really.
The very chilling vibe of this album continues with “Features Creatures”. Now, this is supposed to be Bjork’s “Tinder” album of sorts, but Arca has a real way of making things a whole lot more twisted. This one in a bizarre way is really sweet in Bjork’s own way, with this very adorable story of meeting a guy. Instrumentally though this one is dead. Not enough to completely make this one a toss away, but still it’s disheartening. But what aggravates me is that once again I feel like Arca and Bjork are on different planets as far as performance goes. I just feel like “Features Creatures” could have been a whole lot punchier, but Bjork’s performance still makes this one solid. Then we have the much more off-kilter and bizarre “Courtship” which has a seriously striking intro. It’s one of the strangers and more vibrant tracks here, and it really makes you question what you’re listening to. But Bjork really strings it together well. Her vocals on “Courtship” are so strong and whimsical, and Arca’s usual way to string together an uneasy atmosphere is at its peak here. The tracks on this album are far from easy to digest, and often take a lot of listens. But Bjork still certainly has a lot left in the tank. I just sort of wish this album was a little more focused as a whole. I do really love the serene atmosphere on a lot of these tracks though, so there certainly a big reason to like this. Tracks like “Loss” on the other hand, however, continue to catch my interest immediately. Personally, I really love the tracks on here where Arca’s more chilling production and beats come off more forward. But once again, why is it that I can’t shake the feeling that on a lot of these tunes Bjork and Arca have vastly different ideas. They both sound fine in their own right, and there are some really stunning moments here. But I just feel like this could have been more if this was a little more focused. Also, why is this track almost 7 minutes long? It’s really not necessary. But, I do like the much more abrasive production as well as Bjork’s performance. Tracks like “Sue Me” however, not only catch my interest, they keep it too. The production on this track is mind-blowing and quite frankly, out of control. Not to mention, for one it doesn’t seem like Bjork is racing to keep up with Arca. On “Sue Me”, they mesh together wonderfully, making for a track that’s not only intense, but also charming and beautiful. It’s also probably the most out of control and artsy track here, with the beat constantly shifting behind Bjork. Yes, it’s a little messy, but it’s vibrant legitimately wild as well. On the other hand, “Tabula Rasa” takes a nice step back in the much more quaint direction we heard earlier. But as far as pleasant tunes go, this is one of the sweetest here by far. On this one, I don’t really miss Arca’s booming, eerie beats, and I’m completely enamored with Bjork’s performance. It almost sounds like she’s in some animated Disney movie and singing wishing some woods with a bunch of animal surrounding her. “Tabula Rasa” is lovely, and I love just how passionate her performance is all around.
Now, “Claimstaker’ has the sort of very creeping vibe right off the bat that absolutely screams Arca. It’s almost done to a fault though, as this track really doesn’t sound like it was tailor-made for Bjork. Just the opposite actually, it sort of sounds like she grabbed an old instrumental of his, added some strings and said go. There are elements to this that are actually breathtaking and beautiful, but it’s moments like this that I just feel like Bjork isn’t as focused as she could be. On the other hand, “Paradisa” is incredibly lovely and almost euphoric. For all of the moments here that Bjork has seemed a little unfocused, this just shows that she really still has tons left in the tank. Even though this is less than a 2-minute instrumental, I’m absolutely enchanted by it. To be honest, quite a few of these later tracks are incredibly sweet and charming, like “Saint”. While I think I would have liked to hear a few of these tunes on a separate project and have Arca work his magic maybe a little bit more, I really can't complain. There’s still a ton of danger lurking behind all of this tenderness though, especially in that very twisted, thumping electronic bass. Even Bjork herself on this one seems so colorful and full of life. It’s moments like this that make me so happy that Bjork is still with us and still making music after all of these years. This album reaches its finale with “Future Forever”, which starts off just as whimsical and starry-eyed as the last few tunes, but I’m not sure how I feel about this very bare atmosphere. Bjork’s performance here is genuinely heartfelt which is wonderful. And the production is certainly spot on, making for some really incredible atmospheres. But why is there still just such a damn disconnect? I know this album technically isn’t a collaboration or anything, so I can’t harp on it too much. But it’s more than that, I just feel like there’s such a huge gap between what Arca is doing with the production and what Bjork had in mind. While this album is still very solid, that’s still a problem.
The very chilling vibe of this album continues with “Features Creatures”. Now, this is supposed to be Bjork’s “Tinder” album of sorts, but Arca has a real way of making things a whole lot more twisted. This one in a bizarre way is really sweet in Bjork’s own way, with this very adorable story of meeting a guy. Instrumentally though this one is dead. Not enough to completely make this one a toss away, but still it’s disheartening. But what aggravates me is that once again I feel like Arca and Bjork are on different planets as far as performance goes. I just feel like “Features Creatures” could have been a whole lot punchier, but Bjork’s performance still makes this one solid. Then we have the much more off-kilter and bizarre “Courtship” which has a seriously striking intro. It’s one of the strangers and more vibrant tracks here, and it really makes you question what you’re listening to. But Bjork really strings it together well. Her vocals on “Courtship” are so strong and whimsical, and Arca’s usual way to string together an uneasy atmosphere is at its peak here. The tracks on this album are far from easy to digest, and often take a lot of listens. But Bjork still certainly has a lot left in the tank. I just sort of wish this album was a little more focused as a whole. I do really love the serene atmosphere on a lot of these tracks though, so there certainly a big reason to like this. Tracks like “Loss” on the other hand, however, continue to catch my interest immediately. Personally, I really love the tracks on here where Arca’s more chilling production and beats come off more forward. But once again, why is it that I can’t shake the feeling that on a lot of these tunes Bjork and Arca have vastly different ideas. They both sound fine in their own right, and there are some really stunning moments here. But I just feel like this could have been more if this was a little more focused. Also, why is this track almost 7 minutes long? It’s really not necessary. But, I do like the much more abrasive production as well as Bjork’s performance. Tracks like “Sue Me” however, not only catch my interest, they keep it too. The production on this track is mind-blowing and quite frankly, out of control. Not to mention, for one it doesn’t seem like Bjork is racing to keep up with Arca. On “Sue Me”, they mesh together wonderfully, making for a track that’s not only intense, but also charming and beautiful. It’s also probably the most out of control and artsy track here, with the beat constantly shifting behind Bjork. Yes, it’s a little messy, but it’s vibrant legitimately wild as well. On the other hand, “Tabula Rasa” takes a nice step back in the much more quaint direction we heard earlier. But as far as pleasant tunes go, this is one of the sweetest here by far. On this one, I don’t really miss Arca’s booming, eerie beats, and I’m completely enamored with Bjork’s performance. It almost sounds like she’s in some animated Disney movie and singing wishing some woods with a bunch of animal surrounding her. “Tabula Rasa” is lovely, and I love just how passionate her performance is all around.
Now, “Claimstaker’ has the sort of very creeping vibe right off the bat that absolutely screams Arca. It’s almost done to a fault though, as this track really doesn’t sound like it was tailor-made for Bjork. Just the opposite actually, it sort of sounds like she grabbed an old instrumental of his, added some strings and said go. There are elements to this that are actually breathtaking and beautiful, but it’s moments like this that I just feel like Bjork isn’t as focused as she could be. On the other hand, “Paradisa” is incredibly lovely and almost euphoric. For all of the moments here that Bjork has seemed a little unfocused, this just shows that she really still has tons left in the tank. Even though this is less than a 2-minute instrumental, I’m absolutely enchanted by it. To be honest, quite a few of these later tracks are incredibly sweet and charming, like “Saint”. While I think I would have liked to hear a few of these tunes on a separate project and have Arca work his magic maybe a little bit more, I really can't complain. There’s still a ton of danger lurking behind all of this tenderness though, especially in that very twisted, thumping electronic bass. Even Bjork herself on this one seems so colorful and full of life. It’s moments like this that make me so happy that Bjork is still with us and still making music after all of these years. This album reaches its finale with “Future Forever”, which starts off just as whimsical and starry-eyed as the last few tunes, but I’m not sure how I feel about this very bare atmosphere. Bjork’s performance here is genuinely heartfelt which is wonderful. And the production is certainly spot on, making for some really incredible atmospheres. But why is there still just such a damn disconnect? I know this album technically isn’t a collaboration or anything, so I can’t harp on it too much. But it’s more than that, I just feel like there’s such a huge gap between what Arca is doing with the production and what Bjork had in mind. While this album is still very solid, that’s still a problem.
Rating: 7.7/10
Give A Listen To: “Arisen My Senses”, “The Gate”, “Body Memory”, "Sue Me"
Genre: Electronic / Experimental / Baroque Pop
Overall Thoughts: I’m sort of torn on this one. I think that there are a lot of really great moments here that remind us of just how incredible of an artist Bjork is. Not to mention, she seems still just so full of ideas and at a creative peak. But as far as little details go, there are a few hiccups here. There are tracks that are just a little too breezy or maybe a little too long. Not to mention, there are one too many moments on here that Bjork and producer Arca seem to be on different planets as far as their ideas go. Overall though, this is still a very good Bjork album.
Give A Listen To: “Arisen My Senses”, “The Gate”, “Body Memory”, "Sue Me"
Genre: Electronic / Experimental / Baroque Pop
Overall Thoughts: I’m sort of torn on this one. I think that there are a lot of really great moments here that remind us of just how incredible of an artist Bjork is. Not to mention, she seems still just so full of ideas and at a creative peak. But as far as little details go, there are a few hiccups here. There are tracks that are just a little too breezy or maybe a little too long. Not to mention, there are one too many moments on here that Bjork and producer Arca seem to be on different planets as far as their ideas go. Overall though, this is still a very good Bjork album.
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