Volta
Bjork
Score:62
Reviewer: Adam Davy
Label: One Little Indian (UK), Atlantic (USA), Universal (Australia)
Reviewed: Jun 18th '07, Released:2007
In poetry, the term ‘volta’ is used to refer to a change in subject matter. Volta is also the name of the Italian physicist who invented the electric battery. This unusual moniker therefore seems appropriate for Björk’s latest offering because this, her sixth studio album, most certainly seems designed to evoke connotations of both change and energy.
The album cover offers the most immediate suggestion that Volta represents a dramatic departure from the comparatively somber artistic tone of Björk’s two previous albums Medulla and Vespertine. Absent are the dark, eroticised overtones of these past releases. Instead, upon the vibrant red digipak casing of Volta, we are presented with an absurdly garish and asexual Björk, dressed in a rainbow that wouldn’t look out of place on children’s television. Ridiculous to the point of enigmatic, it is just the kind of otherworldly visage that Björk clearly enjoys indulging in.
Opening with the wonderfully enthusiastic ‘Earth Intruders’, Björk revels in a playful energy that is infectious and, driven as it is by the beats of the talented Timbaland, the track excels in promoting a feeling of raw and incessant intensity. As if to prove that the excellence of ‘Earth Intruders’ is no fluke, Björk collaborates with Timbaland twice more on Volta, and the results are equally rewarding. One of these collaborations, ‘Innocence’, is the most pop-infused track on the album, and for this reason it is perhaps the most readily accessible of Volta’s compositions.
Unfortunately, this intelligent and provocative songwriting is not apparent on all of Volta’s tracks. In contrast to those songs mentioned above, ‘Declare Independence’ is an obvious low-point on the album. An abrasive and uncomfortably simplistic foray into electro clash, the song lacks any trace of subtlety, and even Björk sounds a little one-dimensional as she repeatedly drones on about “raising the flag” and “declaring independence”.
However, as awful as ‘Declare Independence’ is, at least it manages to evoke some response (laughable as it may be). Perhaps the biggest criticism to be made of Volta is that too many of the songs fail to hold interest. Songs like ‘My Juvenile’ and ‘Pneumonia’ are meandering and ultimately forgettable. Björk’s duet with Antony on ‘The Dull Flame of Desire’ is only marginally more interesting.
A long time supporter of Björk’s work, I’ve often argued that hers is the kind of music that requires time to absorb, digest, mull over and ultimately, appreciate. Unfortunately, at least half of Volta makes this an unappealing prospect. At times gratifying, yet too often boring, Volta is quite clearly a mixed affair, and despite a few standout tracks, this album ranks in as a disappointing entry in Björk’s otherwise outstanding discography.
