Heads Up: Björk's Volta

Björk has, for almost a decade, been lost in the pretentious forest. I love her, I really do, but I think it speaks volumes that I listened to 2004's Medulla once or twice ever, and I might pull out 2001's Vespertine once a year. The former is a dizzying mess of beatboxing and choral arrangements, the latter a brittle and delicate collection that, while excellent, is more cloudy & unsettling than sunny & welcoming. Björk always explored electronic sound and texture, but to me, she soared when she put her microscope on how those sounds were chained forever to the dancefloor. The wild abandon of her otherworldly voice is an exact parallel to the unbridled passion of losing oneself to booming rhythms. Maybe it's just a basic human response; I'd rather be upbeat than down. And, after hearing this new song from her new album, Volta, I think Björk decided she might need to be a little upbeat too. And she is quick to recognize the connection between rhythm and pagan history, telling Pitchfork that the album is about women and their ancient bond to nature; there's no coincidence that there are 13 cycles of the full moon and a woman's menstruation in a year...

Dig the "Earth Intruders"; Volta is out on May 8th.