Wondrous and intense, Utopia is as Björkian as it gets.
For long-time fans of Björk and music nerds who need some reason to believe, with a preposterous degree of positivity regarding the human condition, despite Donald Trump’s emboldening of AmeriKKKa, or Harvey Weinstein and Lars von Trier’s treatment of women in Hollywood, Utopia is a world you want to live in.
Utopia feels like both a journey and a collection of statements that define and affirm who Björk is.
Utopia is not elsewhere / It’s here
‘Utopia’ is an absolute turn towards the light, and it’s covered in flutes (especially on ‘Courtship’); as a result, it’s an album you’ll want to return to again and again.
Utopia is a long winding road of dreamy elegance and passion from an artist who has created her own private world in reaction to the one she exists in.
Utopia sees Björk demonstrating newfound strength and optimism, painting in bright shades and surrounding herself with the sounds of her own Eden.
Björk’s confidence and theatricality are in full form here, and the majority of Utopia’s experiments succeed. It’s encouraging that, nine albums in, Björk still has so much to say, and the vision and talent to say it so well.
If Vulnicura watched volcanic ash blanketing the life Björk had come to depend on, Utopia paints brand-new life rising from the fertile ground.
Utopia is almost completely a sensory experience, fantastical soundscapes designed for secret snowflake rituals and Valkyrie picnics.
Björk exudes a lust for life again on her self-styled ‘Tinder album’, a hope-filled set powered by flutes and birdsong.
Her unmatched ability to recreate herself and intestinal fortitude makes her a treasure and Utopia is once again evidence of her utterly brilliant creativity. Utopia is not for the timid unadventurous listener.
Both musically and lyrically, Utopia is extraordinarily gripping and majestically consistent in its intent to shake and uplift. If there is one aspect that runs the risk of breaking the spell it is its duration.
In essence ... Utopia is another triumph.
She has always channelled bliss and joy into compelling music, but Utopia’s take on love is more than pure feeling; it’s the basis for a personal and political manifesto.
If you’re willing to give it your full attention, this is a frequently stunning record. It may often be difficult, but like most hard work, Utopia reaps its own rewards.
Utopia can be dense stuff, but repeated listens will bear out not only a sympathetic ear for the artist's struggles and subsequent rebirth but also a familiar, Björk-like vibe.
Utopia isn't quite as idyllic as its title implies, but its mix of idealism and realism makes it an even greater success as a manifesto for radically open love and as a document of thriving after loss.
The set radiates playfulness and pleasure.
The sound palette of Utopia is bright and airy. Flutes, pan pipes and other woodwinds make up the main instrumentation, as tactile but ephemeral as a warm breath on the back of your neck. It's rich with life.
Björk’s Utopia is as much about attempting to reach paradise as it is setting up camp there. On her longest album to date, she has given herself the space to embrace the natural world as well as continuing to reckon with her past.
Utopia is one of Björk's most majestic and revealing albums yet, but it's also her most bloated and unkempt.
Utopia’s idyllic voyage eases Bjork triumphantly out of Vulnicura’s thorny darkness, where endurance is a necessary attitude that is central to her patient story arc. The elegant orchestrations she develops are oftentimes rewarding, even if they gloriously highlight some of her nagging indulgences.
Björk seems to have reconjured the elements that made her music so exceptional, and consistently enough that one can imagine a shorter, more curated iteration of Utopia that could stand with her very best albums.
As it is ... ‘Utopia’ remains, in its flawed honesty, floridity and explorative nature, as good an expression of late-period, high-concept Björk as one could hope for.
Utopia, for all its new tricks and ideas, still sounds very much like a Björk record, meaning it will neither disappoint her dedicated base nor catch the casually interested much off guard.
Utopia feels like a diversion, not a destination. A nice place to visit--beautiful, even--but you wouldn't want to live there.
Utopia is the most challenging and adventurous album in Bjork’s discography. If you know where she’s been then you know that’s saying a lot. This album sounds like a synthesis of everything that Bjork has done up until now, but it also forges boldly ahead into the new. Bjork sings and sometimes simply speaks on personal and political topics, with the common thread being her effort to envision a “possible future,” one liberated from the painful mistakes of the past. ... read more
[Björk Album Discography Dive #9/10 - Utopia (2017)]
She tryna be André 3000 with them flutes 🪈🪈🪈
This is the weakest Björk album so far in my opinion but I can also tell that it’s definitely the most difficult to process due to the number of layers, the huge blend of instruments and sounds, and simply because it’s over an hour long. Her avant-garde vision is richly explored throughout the album in more detail than ever before and it’s clear that ... read more
discography dive - 9/10 (Björk)
This review will be briefer than usual. My apologies.
-
What a pleasant listen!
I love the album cover for this album, because it perfectly matches how the album sounds. It's an abstractly beautiful listen that proves that Björk still continues to evolve her sound after a decades-long career- this time focusing on a sound made of ambience and bliss. For some reason I didn't expect much out of this album, but I should have learned by now to never ... read more
Bjork’s greatest skill is her creativity. At her best, she’s creating these colorful worlds. Her greatest weakness is the fact that she often will not use this creativity.
“Utopia” has a bit of both.
The most obvious problem with “Utopia” is its length.
A facet of Bjork that is very present on this album is the way her voice feels disconnected from the rest of the instrumentation.
With other albums, this is because of the way Bjork’s vocals ignore ... read more
1 | Arisen My Senses 4:59 | 92 |
2 | Blissing Me 5:05 | 87 |
3 | The Gate 6:33 | 88 |
4 | Utopia 4:42 | 85 |
5 | Body Memory 9:46 | 83 |
6 | Features Creatures 4:49 | 73 |
7 | Courtship 4:44 | 81 |
8 | Losss 6:51 | 87 |
9 | Sue Me 4:57 | 80 |
10 | Tabula Rasa 4:42 | 79 |
11 | Claimstaker 3:18 | 78 |
12 | Paradisia 1:44 | 77 |
13 | Saint 4:41 | 83 |
14 | Future Forever 4:47 | 81 |
#3 | / | Rough Trade |
#4 | / | The Wild Honey Pie |
#5 | / | The New York Times: Jon Pareles |
#6 | / | NOW Magazine |
#7 | / | Dazed |
#7 | / | Junkee |
#8 | / | Albumism |
#11 | / | Baeble Music |
#11 | / | Slant Magazine |
#12 | / | Mixmag |