Vespertine was a departure from the sultry downtempo and chic IDM of Bjork’s previous albums, trading big room extravagance for reticent experimentalism. With the assistance of Matmos, Opiate and Console, she deploys samples of cracking ice, footsteps in the snow and shuffling cards over a bed of intricately-programmed microbeats for an album that has been described as both ‘domestic’ and a ‘winter’ record. Lyrically, Bjork is in a considerably vulnerable zone, musing on feelings of love and longing for isolation. The result is some of the darkest (‘Pagan Poetry’) and most intimate (‘Heirloom,’ ‘An Echo, A Stain’) work of her decorated career. All killer, no filler; Vespertine is mesmerizing from start to finish. Double vinyl pressing housed in glossy gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves, recommended.

• black double vinyl pressing
• gatefold sleeve
• original release year: 2001
• music label: One Little Indian 2013

reviewed by hannibal chew 09/2017