Björk – Utopia (2017)

There was a point to this blog - it was meant to get me to listen to every one of my CDs, and to thin them out by getting rid of ones I knew I'll never listen to again.

So why am I sitting here looking at a pile of recently bought CDs, having decided that new ones have to be considered before even being allowed on the shelves?

The idea was less CDs not more, despite having added an extra shelf to the big case to accommodate them.

This was picked up new from the local boot fair seller for a couple of quid, and it's taken a while to get round to it. What is clear here is that Björk made this album for herself, and nobody else. There's no concession to commercial success or at times restraint. This makes for, not awkward, but difficult listening, with moments of great beauty, grandiose soundscapes and at times the feeling of over-long self indulgence.

It's probably the more restrained moments which I've enjoyed most, the gentle harp accompanied Blissing Me, the hymn-like The Gate, starting quietly and building to a repetitive climax, and the haunting Features Creatures and Tabula Rasa.

But my overall feel is that so much is rambling and longer than it needs to be, with grandiose production. Certainly worth a listen, and prepare to be surprised at every turn, but it hasn't moved me.

Link to full album

3* - will probably be loved by Björk fans, but it's a bit too intense for a dabbler such as myself.