January 13: Björk, "Post"

Artist: Björk
Album: Post
Year: 1995
Label: Elektra


First and foremost, Björk is an acquired taste. That being said, if you haven’t yet, you REALLY need to acquire said taste. Björk is truly one of the most unique talents to ever enter a vocal booth.

Now, I will freely admit, over the years, there is no CD I’ve had to purchase more times than this one. I have easily played my way through a dozen copies since it’s 1995 release (thanks to my iPod, I’ve not had to purchase one this decade).

While Björk’s first solo record, Debut, was pretty darn good, she truly perfects her craft throughout the 45 minute runtime. A mixture of ambient textures, programmed drums (which I normally despise), all flowing under the sheer brilliance of Björk’s distinctive vocal stylings make Post absolutely magical.

The album opens in a rather aggressive manner with "Army Of Me," but quickly pulls back and finds its groove through the remainder of the record. While “It’s Oh So Quiet” earned notoriety for the video work of Spike Jonez, it may very well be the weakest cut on the record. The album shifts tempo back and forth, and yet retains a beautiful, spacey texture. Songs like "Possibly Maybe" and "You've Been Flirting Again" scale back the music to let the true brilliance of Bjork's vocals shine.

Throughout the record, one truly finds just how invested Björk truly is in each of her vocal tracks. There are squeaks and yelps that most musicians would have cut out. However, these “imperfections” give the album true depth and reveal the vocal mastery that makes Björk one of a kind.

Going strong for nearly two decades, Björk remains a truly unique talent in the timeline of music history. Though she's yet to make a "bad" record, Post remains her finest achievement to date.

Standout tracks: "Hyperballad," "The Modern Things," and "Enjoy"