Biophilia
Nonesuch.

Thank God for Björk. The visionary singer who, in many instances, can’t be classified by any genre has consistently pushed the boundaries of sound for years, embracing the idea that an artist can constantly evolve with the craft. With her latest release “Biophilia”, an electronic journey blending music, technology and science, the Icelandic born artist demonstrates that she still has some of the most cutting ideas and music to ever be recorded.

“Moon” starts the album with a repeated sequence of harps playing throughout the track creating a dreamy underlay for Björk’s vocals with the concept of the song being based on lunar cycles. The simplicity of the music proves to be most effective. “Cosmogony”, is a composed piece that fits somewhere between triumphant and eerie. Howls towards the end of the track creates a chilled, cold feeling yet there is a strange comfort provided. Of course, the previously released “Virus” remains a great listen with the focus being on the interaction of viruses and cells which represents the complexities of love. Many of the tunes on the album are to a degree, very minimal with the drums being lowered in many cases with the exception of tracks such as “Mutual Core” where there is a rhythmic attack sporadically in the song. In many circumstances one would even miss the fact that there are drums at all. However, this appears to have been strategic.

“Biophilia” is probably considered one of the musical highlights of 2011 and pretty much stands in a category of itself in terms of originality and experimentation. This album is a masterpiece that could only be presented by a genius such as Björk.