Biophilia (Deluxe Edition)

iTunes Review

At a time when many musicians are being forced to downscale their aspirations, Björk dares to dream. The Icelandic chanteuse has been relentlessly experimental, challenging listeners with music that defies expectations of what popular songs can be. Yet make no mistake; Björk may use avant-garde forms to express herself, but at heart she’s an artist who wants to include everyone and would love to hear the world humming her tunes, no matter how battered and mysterious they may be. The slow, meticulous chords and friction-filled rhythms of “Mutual Core” are perfectly complementary. The angelic whispers, the demanding rasp, the lonely notes that tick like Father Time throughout “Solstice” channel a unique art-song process. “Thunderbolt” creeps up, rhythmless and then with a plod, as voices fall in and out of a choir and a synthesizer limps along. “Crystaline” picks up the tempo, just barely, as Björk explores the natural world. “Dark Matter” sounds like the score for a horror film, as a funeral organ chases voices of spirits. This album is one of a kind.