Björk is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, actress, and fashion icon, a queen of experimentation and innovation, producing eclectic, genre-bending music. This week I look at her second album, 1995’s Post, as Björk took her sonic experimentation to dizzying new heights.
In the aftermath of Debut, Björk’s star was burning brighter than ever. Debut was a critical and commercial smash; the NME named it their best album of 1993, while Björk won Best International Newcomer and Best International Female at the 1994 Brit Awards. Björk’s success saw her collaborating with a number of artists, including composer David Arnold on the theme of the 1993 film The Young Americans, and even with pop superstar Madonna, co-writing the song ‘Bedtime Story’ on her 1994 album Bedtime Stories. Despite Debut’s success, Björk asserted that it was merely a teaser of her abilities, believing she could do much better.
Unlike Debut, most of the songs on Post were written after she moved to London, providing a snapshot of a certain period of her life as she embraced London’s vibrant club scene. Initial recordings for the album took place at Compass Point studious in Nassau, Björk extending her recording process to the picturesque local environment surrounding her, the original version of ‘Cover Me‘ was recorded in a bat-filled cave. She also incorporated songs she had previously written with 808 State’s Graham Massey, including the album’s lead single, ‘Army of Me‘, which had become a staple of her live shows in the summer of 1994.
Production continued on her return to London with a new team of engineers and programmers, with songs being tweaked heavily or even entirely re-recorded. Björk credited the inclusion of greater instrumentation as reviving Post. Björk worked with numerous producers and collaborators on the album, many of them her friends from London’s club scene. Nellee Hooper returned as producer, while Talvin Singh also made a cameo appearance, providing additional percussion on ‘I Miss You‘. In a reciprocal agreement, Tricky helped produce the tracks ‘Enjoy’ and ‘Headphones’; Björk agreeing to provide vocals on two of his tracks on his Nearly God project in return. Legendary Brazilian composer and producer Eumir Deodato also came on board, his prowess as an arranger coming to the fore on ‘Isobel’.
Post has a faster-paced, bolder sound than Debut, bristling with raw energy, encapsulating the bright lights of London’s nightlife. Like Debut, it’s a deeply experimental affair, including more electronic instrumentation. The record shifts from dark and aggressive to mellow and chilled out, from acerbic to contemplative. It retains accessibility through its innovation and fervent ambition, especially on the bombastic show tune ‘It’s Oh So Quiet‘.
‘Army of Me‘ provides a seismic opening, its heavy thumping bass line bringing a sense of tension; it’s aggressive, industrial rock. Björk’s voice has an element of venom; the song is essentially her telling her younger brother to pull his socks up or face her wrath. It also features an unlikely sample, the drums lifted from Led Zeppelin’s ‘When the Levee Breaks’. ‘Hyperballad’ is a supreme affair, with the contrast between its uneasy, shuffling house beats and the gentle twinkling of the keyboard creating an appropriately dream-like atmosphere. The song is influenced by a dream Björk had, the narrator visiting a cliff edge every day to throw objects down, imagining her own body falling, all before her lover wakes up. It’s a song of morbid catharsis, yet the beautiful string sounds at the end give it a soaring wonder as she sings, “Safe up here with you”.
‘Modern Things‘ is a spooky song about the advancement of technology, driven by some African-style drumming; it has an ominous air, a conflict between nature and technology. It features Björk singing in her native Icelandic, her voice beautifully cracking and breaking over the chorus. ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’ is a complete left-turn, one of the record’s most shocking moments, as Björk covers a song made famous by American singer Betty Hutton, turning it into a bombastic show tune. It features Björk at her most playful while allowing her to show off her impressive vocal range, shouting and shrieking. ‘Enjoy’ drifts into entirely new territory, a primal, trippy techno track. It’s powerfully unsettling, with mysterious lyrics that hint at a battle between love and promiscuity.
‘You’ve Been Flirting Again‘ explores the ambiguity of flirting, Björk’s soft voice matching her words as she implores the man to “Give her some time, give her some space”. ‘Isobel‘ is a stunning track, musically rich and powerfully evocative. It was written with Icelandic poet Sjón, as Björk struggled to express the story behind the track entirely. The track benefits from Deodato’s skills as a conductor and arranger, from the beautiful trumpets at the start to the remarkable string sections which open the song up at the chorus, combining with Björk’s vocals to evoke a sense of wonder and discovery. Driven by the claustrophobic sound of the snare, it creates the feeling that the narrator, Isobel, is journeying through a jungle, eventually discovering civilisation.
‘Possibly Maybe’ delves into more ambient territory, a floaty, mysterious affair. It’s one of the album’s rare moments of melancholia, as Björk tells the story of a breakup influenced by the end of her relationship with French photographer Stéphane Sednaoui. ‘I Miss You’ is a fantastically diverse affair, with a catchy house groove, the percussion shifting between electronic drums and African bongos. The track is uplifted by a brilliant brass section, reflecting the hope Björk is singing about; the perfect lover she hasn’t met. ‘Cover Me‘ was solely produced by Björk; her voice is hushed, like she doesn’t want to disturb the natural environment she treads through. Appropriately the song is filled with natural sounds, while the harpsichord provides the tension and danger Björk sings of. ‘Headphones‘ is a captivatingly quiet conclusion, a love letter to music that doubles up as a lullaby.
Post saw Björk surpass her previous efforts, reflecting her growing confidence as an artist. It’s eclectic, experimental, and everything that makes Björk’s music so enthralling. Post is a sonic explosion, Björk making the tricky second album look easy.