Album of the Week: Fossora by Björk

Album: Fossora
Artist: Björk
Release Date: September 30, 2022
Label: One Little Independent
Favorite Tracks:

• Atopos
• Victimhood
• Trölla-Gabba (featuring Kasimyn)
• Fossora (featuring Kasimyn)
• Her Mother’s House (featuring Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney)

Thoughts:

Björk returns for a tenth solo album drawing inspiration from the death of her mother in 2018 and the subsequent COVID-19 isolation period.  The album is sort of themed around fungi with the title translated as “digger,” thus Björk is digging up messages of life from the underground.  The music is familiar to Björk’s recent work, mostly down-tempo tracks with swirling clarinets and thumping electronic beats as the bed for Björk’s unique voice.  This all good but I do miss when Björk albums contained some upbeat dance tracks too.  Other voices complement Björk’s  with guest artist including her children Sindri Eldon and Isadora Bjarkardóttir Barney.

Rating: ***

 

Album of the Week:  2022

January

• Olivia Rodrigo – Sour
• Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
• Adele –30 
• Tran Uy Duc – Came
• Yard Act – The Overload
• Aoife O’Donovan – Age of Apathy

February

• Tanya Taqaq – Tongues
• Various Artists – Summer of Soul soundtrack
• Mitski – Laurel Hell
• Shamir – Hetrosexuality

March

• Lady Pills – What I Want
• Stromae – Multitude
• Jenny Hval – Classic Objects
• Yumi Zouma – Present Tense

April

• Ibibio Sound Machine – Electricity
• Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems
• The Linda Lindas – Growing Up
• Deer Scout – Woodpecker
• Sault – Air

May

• Congotronics International – Where’s the One?
• Oumou Sangaré – Timbuktu
• Various Artists – Daptone Mood
• Wet Leg – Wet Leg

July

• Editrix – Editrix Goes To Hell
• Medicine Singers – Medicine Singers
• Mourning [A] BLKstar – Celestial Bodies
• Lizzo – Special
• The Ballroom Thieves – Clouds

August

• Petrol Girls – Baby
• Beyoncé – Renaissance
• Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings – Love is the Only Thing

September

• Courtney Swain – Silver Lining
• Russian Circles – Gnosis
• Sudan Archives – Natural Brown Prom Queen
• Santigold – Spirituals
• The Beths – Expert in a Dying Field