Holy shit, I'm afraid that most of my end of the year songlist will only contain Björk, Kylie and Madonna [since these last two G-ds are also releasing new albums this year].
Yesterday I downloaded Björk's upcoming album, Volta. Of course I loved it, but it's still early to say I'm already addcited to it. As usual I'm very late about music and Björk only came to me few months ago, so I'm still on the oldies. I already did a Björk top 5 and some songs from it still are on my mind like certain ruts; so let's get to it.
Top 5:
5. "Pagan Poetry" [from Vespertine]
The song, inspired by a day when an errant Björk pedaled through the streets of some Icelandic town and visited every church on her way, got me first by the Japanese-esque harp. In a paradox-esque way I much love in songs [when well done], PP's melody brings a feeling of serenity that is not present on the restless lyrics about religious ambiguity.
4. "Human Behavior" [from Debut]
I never realized how fun and clever is this song. On my Björk studies I learned that it is the first part of a trilogy followed by Isobel and Bachelorette. The trilogy is the story of Isobel, a girl who grew up in the forest, met human beings later in the city, got fucked up, isolated herself again in the jungle, but returned at last to find a husband. Human Behavior's beats took a while to catch me, but the lyrics are so adoringly funny that made the melody grow in me.
3. "Earth Intruders" and "Dull Flame Of Desire" [from Volta]
Okay I'm cheating, but these are the Volta songs that got me hooked the most. The first is simply amazing, filled with those crazy, creative and amazing beats that is a Timbaland mark; the African-esque xylophone [or whatever that is] sounds are cute and involving, they get me madly dancing and shaking [video]. The second is a beyond beautiful ballad iniciated by horns that sound like a ship's whistle, or maybe it's exactly that. This whistle makes me think of parting, so if you combine it with the lyrics you get the feeling of a love broken at its commencement. Totally romantic, totally heartbreaking, totally my current state. Check the lyrics out:
"I love your eyes, my dear/Their splendid sparkling fire//When suddenly you raise them so/To cast a swift embracing glance//Like lightning flashing in the sky/But there's a charm that is greater still//When my love's eyes are lowered/When all is fired by passion's kiss//And through the downcast lashes/I see the dull flame of desire"
2. "Isobel" [from Post] and "Bachelorette" [from Homogenic]
There I go again.
Isobel: on my first Björk list I described this as an egocentric song. After I learned what this is really about I saw there's nothing selfish on Isobel's attitude in isolating herself. She did it so she could save human kind, but this is subject to another post. I still relate myself a lot to this song and, even if it's not my intention to save Humanity from doom, I'm on an isolation period.
Bachelorette: as I said before, this is the final part of the Isobel trilogy. What I most love about this song is that it's grandiose and empowering; like most of the artist's works it is connected to nature and the way Björk's poematic-self describes herself as the Mother-nature is simply beautiful. "If you forget my name/You will go astray/Like a killer whale, trapped in a bay." The video to this is a masterpiece and the string arrangement feels as classic as the end of an epic should be.
1. "Possibly Maybe" [from Post]
Uhhh... do I really have to say anything about this one?
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