THIS REVIEW IS SELF-REFERENTIAL, PARANOID, AND A LITTLE ICELANDIC.
I leave the office located in a chic area with detachment and frugality. 4:57 p.m. Keys in my pocket, phone still off to avoid small daily family annoyances. I need absolute concentration in my work. So, zero distractions, it's not for me to leave my head outside the company database. My scruple is beyond my sterile imagination. Everything is average in my life as a 35-year-old. Paola is reflective, an honest woman, but there are too many times we take and leave each other. Today I am your reassuring George, and tomorrow, tomorrow another damn and I am watching the almost empty bottom of the Beck's. Medium, of course. Like my appearance: height, muscle mass, and sex. Like my dark blue 2001 fourth-series Golf. Like my apartment shared with my little brother Luca, a 24-year-old still a carefree university student, and lucky him still a little unaware of the precarious universe... The traffic light at this damn intersection gets on my nerves, you never know if a damn little man inside is waiting for an accountant curled up in doubt to send him a bit into a loop. 14 minutes past five, home awaits. I need to check the teletext on page 245, maybe Chivu has decided. The Becali, great sons of bitches, eh. Giulia's Mini isn't there, down at the parking lot, so there's a free spot. Giuly is quite a hottie, sometimes in my thoughts I have betrayed Paola for her. The elevator is available, it hasn't been called. Okay, going up and another feeble day has reached its destination, its destination. Certainly not the one I would have wanted, the ideal I had planned in third-year bookkeeping.
ANONYMOUS HOUSE, ANONYMOUS PEOPLE, ANONYMOUS ME (AND ANONYMOUS THE FREEZE-DRIED FOODS I TOOK AT AGE 3).
Bjork Gudmundsdottir, from Reykjavik, knew fear and anguish in Bangkok in 1996; when practically exhausted, she unleashed against an intrusive crew more interested in her son Sindri than in herself. Then came the bomb package kindly sent to her by a sick fan. In short, the little Icelandic had some problems. Facts that testified to Bjork's rising popularity, and the near-worldwide success of "Post". Perhaps her masterpiece, immersed as it is in the poignant waters and the tumultuous strings from where "Isobel" seeks refuge and in the techno-industrial army of "Army of me". In the 50s swinging musical of "It's oh so quiet" (from Betty Hutton) and the electro-polychrome of the fascinating "post-atomic" ballad "Hyper ballad" (indeed). In the rhythmic flights and percussion of "I miss you" to the sensual electronic gathering that fills "Possibly maybe". In an ancestral harp played who knows where, perhaps the cave in which Isobel "lives" her solitude, among the flights of fancy of the small Nordic genius's voice in "Cover me". Finally, the emancipation from the outside world through the "Headphones", in a sort of intimate compromise with our internal "why?". Often larger than life itself. "I'm fast asleep". 'I like this resonance, it elevates me. I don't recognize myself, this is very interesting. My headphones, they saved my life. Your tape, it lulled me to sleep. I'm fast asleep now...'
Meanwhile, the diligent Giulio (
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Army of Me (03:54)
Stand up,
You've got to manage
I won't sympathize
Anymore
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
You're alright
There's nothing wrong
Self sufficience, please
And get to work
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
Army of me
You're on your own now
We won't save you
Your rescue squad
Is too exhausted
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
Army of me
02 Hyper-ballad (05:21)
we live on a mountain
right at the top
this a beautiful view
from the top of the mountain
every morning I walk towards the edge
and throw little things off
like: car-parts, bottles and cutlery
or whatever I find lying around
it's become a habit
a way
to start the day
I go through all this
before you wake up
so I can feel happier
to be safe up here with you
it's real early morning
no-one is awake
I'm back at my cliff, still throwing things off
I listen to the sounds they make
on their way down
I follow with my eyes 'til they crash
imagine what my body would sound like
slamming against those rocks
and when it lands
will my eyes be closed or open?
I go through all this
before you wake up
so I can feel happier
to be safe up here with you
03 The Modern Things (04:10)
All the modern things
Like cars and such
Have always existed
They've just been waiting in a mountain
For the right moment
Listening to the irritating noises
Of dinosaurs and people
Dabbling outside
All the modern things
Have always existed
They've just been waiting
To come out
And multiply
And take over
It's their turn now
04 It's Oh So Quiet (03:38)
Shhhh Shhhh
It's, oh, so quiet
Shhhh Shhhh
It's, oh, so still
Shhhh Shhhh
You're all alone
Shhh Shhh
And so peaceful until...
You fall in love
Zing boom
The sky up above
Zing boom
Is caving in
Wow bam
You've never been so nuts about a guy
You wanna laugh you wanna cry
You cross your heart and hope to die
'Til it's over and then...
Shhhh Shhhh
It's nice and quiet
Shhhh Shhhh
But soon again
Shhhh Shhhh
Starts another big riot
You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
So what's the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love?
It's, oh, so quiet
It's, oh, so still
You're all alone
And so peaceful until...
You ring the bell
Bim bam
You shout and you yell
Hi ho ho
You broke the spell
Gee, this is swell you almost have a fit
This guy is "gorge" and I got hit
There's no mistake this is it
'Til it's over and then...
It's nice and quiet
Shhhh Shhhh
But soon again
Shhhh Shhhh
Starts another big riot
You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
So What's the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love?
The sky caves in
The devil cuts loose
You blow blow blow blow blow your fuse
Aaaaah!
When you fall in love...
Ssshhhhhh...
05 Enjoy (03:57)
I wish: I want to stay here
I wish: this be enough
I wish: I only love you
I wish: simplicity
Look at the speed out there
It magnetizes me to it
And I have no fear
I'm only into this to
Enjoy
I wish I'd only look
And didn't have to touch
I wish I'd only smell this
And didn't have to taste
How can I ignore?
This is sex without touching
I'm going to explore
I'm only into this to
Enjoy
06 You've Been Flirting Again (02:29)
All that she said was true
All that she said was true
Give her some time
Give her some space
All that she said was true
All that she meant was good
All that she meant was good
Give her some time
Give her some space
All that she meant was good
How you reacted was right
How you reacted was right
Give her some time
Give her some space
How you reacted was right
07 Isobel (05:47)
in a forest pitch dark
glowed the tiniest spark
it burst into a flame
like me
like me
my name Isobel
married to myself
my love Isobel
living by herself
in a heart full of dust
lives a creature called lust
it surprises and scares
like me
like me
my name Isobel
married to myself
my love Isobel
living by herself
when she does it she means to
moth delivers her message
unexplained on your collar
crawling in silence
a simple excuse
nana na nana
nana na nana
in a tower of steel
nature forges a deal
to raise wonderfull hell
like me
like me
my name Isobel
married to myself
my love Isobel
living by herself
when she does it she means to
moth delivers her message
unexplained on your collar
crawling in silence
a simple excuse
nana na nana
nana na nana
nana na nana
nana na nana
08 Possibly Maybe (05:06)
Your flirts finds me out
Teases the crack in me
Smittens me with hope
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe, possibly maybe.
As much as I definitely enjoy solitude
I wouldn't mind perhaps
Spending little time with you
Sometimes, sometimes
Possibly maybe probably love,
Possibly maybe probably love
Uncertainty excites me
Baby
Who knows what's going to happen?
Lottery or car crash
Or you'll join a cult
Probably maybe, possibly love
Probably maybe, possibly love
possibly
Mon petit vulcan
You're eruptions and disasters
I keep calm
Admiring your lava
I keep calm
Possibly maybe probably love
Possibly maybe probably love
Electric shocks
I love them
With you dozen a day
But after a while I wonder
Where's that love you promised me?
Where is it?
Possibly maybe probably love
Possibly maybe probably love
How can you offer me love like that?
My heart's burned
How can you offer me love like that?
I'm exhausted
Leave me alone
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe, possibly maybe.
Since we broke up
I'm using lipstick again
I suck my tongue
In remembrance of you
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
09 I Miss You (04:03)
I miss you
but I haven't met you yet
So special
but I it hasn't happen yet
You are gorgeous
but I haven't met you yet
I remember
but it hasn't happened yet
And if you believe in dreams
or what is more important
that a dream can come true
I will meet you
I was peeking
but it hasn't happened yet
I haven't been given
my best souvenir
I miss you
but I haven't met you yet
I know your habits
but wouldn't I recognize you yet
And if you believe in dreams
or what is more important
that a dream can come true
Ohhh Ahhh Ah Ah
I miss you
I'm so impatient
I can't stand the way it's
When will i get my cuddle?
Who are you?
I know by now that you'll arrive
by the time I stop waiting
I miss you!
10 Cover Me (02:06)
While I crawl into the unknown
Cover me
I'm going hunting for mysteries
Cover me
I'm going to prove the impossible really exists
This is really dangerous
Cover me
But worth all the effort
Cover me
I'm going to prove the impossible really exists
11 Headphones (05:40)
genius to fall asleep to your tape last night
so warm
sounds go through muscles
these abstract wordless movements
they start off cells that haven't been touched before
these cells are virgins
waking up slowly
my head phones
they saved my life
your tape
it lulled me to sleep
nothing will be the same
i'm fast asleep
i like this resonance
it elevates me
i dont recognize myself
this is very interesting
my head phones
they saved my life
your tape
it lulled me to sleep
i'm fast asleep now
i'm fast asleep
my head phones
they saved my life
your tape
it lulled me to sleep
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By Grasshopper
An extremely varied album, where the little Icelandic elf jumps with ease from one genre to another, demonstrating enormous vocal versatility.
A beautiful album, an offer of rationality and technology serving the welfare of the listener, a proposal coming from the far North, from a land that is just like Bjork: all ice on the outside, but full of fire just beneath the surface.