All My CDs, pt 12: Homogenic

Note that a few of the words in this review are supposed to have special characters used in Icelandic, but not in English. If someone wants to show me where those special characters are hidden in Blogger's editing tools, I'm all ears.

Homogenic- Bjork

“I thought I could organize freedom. How Scandinavian of me!”

In the late 00s I was introduced to Bjork’s music in the form of a few collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet that appeared on my Pandora station. I remember being surprised at how normal those songs sounded, considering how weird Bjork was reputed to be (see the above gif). A few years later I got the album Homogenic, played it regularly for a few months and then suddenly lost interest. It has languished on my shelf since.

Although the songs that I originally enjoyed on Pandora were mainly accoustic, this album (and most of the music I’ve heard of hers) is very techno. A few of the songs are almost trance-like, with mystical lyrics and an etherial sound - especially All is Full of Love, which would not be out of place playing softly in the background at a yoga studio. Pluto is equally etherial, but rather than soothing, its sound is agitating; not all that is new age is peaceful.

Others are similarly mystical, such as Joga and Alarm Call. Alarm Call is my favorite; it has a cheerfulness tinged with anger that’s quite infectious (“I’m no f***ing Buddhist, but this is Enlightenment”). Joga was my favorite when I first bought the album, because of its explicitly emotional lyrics (“All that no-one sees you see what’s inside of me/ every nerve that hurts you heal deep inside of me”) and the pretty string accompaniment. I enjoy it very much still. Others that I enjoyed back then, such as Bachelorette and Unravel, have since lost their appeal, although I have to admit their lyrics are very creatively written.

I almost feel that I encountered this music at too late a time in my life to enjoy it completely. When I was young and my mind less firmly attached to the mundane world of grocery lists and insurance policies and worrying about getting parking tickets, I was much more into techno music with spiritually-inclined vocals. I am not as prone to mystical trances as I was in my teens, but perhaps it’s time I give mind-altering another try. When I do, I will reach for Homogenic and feel the universal love.

Next: Moodswings