Pros: Experimentation, yet still entirely fun and enjoyable. Even danceable.
Cons: Has a slight 90s timestamp, but nothing that takes away from its merit.
The Bottom Line: Björk's world never seemed so inviting. And just looked at the album jacket-- it's says she wants to show you something beautiful. She's laughing, because she knows she's great.
Oh, how I totally hate 90s dance music. And just the fact that Icelandic experimental artist Björk would base an entire record off of it just sticks in my craw-- except that she did it the right way, mixing it with jazz, rock, and pop music. In 1993, Björk hit the scene with her uncombed hair, frumpy woolen sweaters, and a voice that could break glass with its awkward inflictions. By this point, Björk had been a sensation in Iceland, having released her actual debut album in 1977 (Björk) and then releasing a slew of records and singles with punk bands like The Sugarcubes. But the early 90s, it was time for Björk to venture out on her on, find her own style, and her playful attitude would shine through on what she considers to be her true debut.
This is one of Björk's last fun records; that is to say that the rest of her records are highly experimental, dark, introspective, and blatantly trying to make some heavy statements. While I love just about everything this woman has done, records like Vespertine and Homogenic don't make for a party in a box. On her "debut," however, Björk seems to have taken some of the weirdest beats, combined them with awkward lyrics, and then proceeds to stumble through the whole record like she's drunk. For those who do not understand anything about Björk, just know that the lead-off single's music video features her in a cartoon-style forest being chased by an overgrown teddy bear, who, in turn, tries to run her over and eat over.
Human Behaviour kicks Debut off on one of the highest points of her entire career, as it remains on her greatest songs since, using a dark yet catchy hook mixes with a little Icelandic scat and some dramatic vocals-- all while remaining entirely danceable and cute. She wails over the heavy instrumentation: There is NO map! And a compass wouldn't help you know! The great thing about this woman is that she always sings like she's trying to surprise you. This is also apparent on tracks like the dance-anthem Crying and the quirky Venus as a Boy.
But the epitome of her quirkiness is outlined by the song There's More to Life Than This, which another dance anthem that was recorded live at a bar (the audience comes off as a sound effect, though). In the middle of the performance, Björk seems to have run outside with her microphone as she proceeds to then whisper into it, telling us she "could nick a boat and sneak up to this island! I could like bring my little ghettoblaster-- there's more to life than this." The entire song is warning people that there's more to life than just partying, immediately playing off this house party as "boring." While her suggestions of jumping between boats and lining up outside a bakery are awkward and seemingly insane, if she coaxed me like she on this song, I don't think I could say no-- especially with a trio of ladies doing a punching jazz and blues-club backing vocal.
There are a few tracks on Debut that I have to be in the mood to listen to; among them are the slower Like Someone in Love, Come to Me, and One Day, the first of which is a cover. On these songs, she experiments with spacier, strung-out vocals, the harp, and even samples a child cooing. Come to Me is a gorgeous love story to her son, who declares that "one day an aeroplane will curve gracefully around a volcano just for you..." In other words, she's promising her son, Sindri, the world. Then, in comparison, we have songs like Aeroplane that I could put on repeat. This strange jazz song is a complete misstep in every sense of the word-- her voice is flat in the opening and then over-dramatic at the end; but I just don't give a damn. Her desperate vocals and the creepy/sad instrumentation just give off a very powerful mood, as the song goes into full on jazz breaks-- akin to those in a detective's noir film.
Björk once described the Debut-making process to be like a kid in a giant candy store-- all these different things you can have without anybody telling you "no." This is a great way to describe this awkward record, because we can go from dramatic jazz songs like Aeroplane to the house track Violently Happy, on which Björk narrates her state of complete neurosis. Violently happy! Come calm me down before I get into trouble! Soothe me... This song can be an anthem for those recently in love...or those who are tripping on acid. In the middle of the song, we get this obnoxious skipping effect that annoys me (baby-by-by-by-by..), but it doesn't last too long, and the song begins hitting a bunch of peaks and you're not sure when the track is going to end. I'm aiming to high.. Ms. Björk needs to check herself because she's definitely falling too fast.
It annoys me that b-sides and off-singles Play Dead and Atlantic were left off the edition of Debut released in American, but from what I understand, they are included on the newly reissued version. Play Dead, which was the theme song for The Young Americans, is another one of those moments in Björk's career where you can see that she has some real talent. Featuring a dark orchestration over a slow hip-hop beat, Björk wails within the first 10 seconds, setting a certain mood. Darling, stop your hurting me with your wishful thinking. On the other hand, Atlantic is a "what-the-hell" moment, because just when you think Debut couldn't get any weirder, this little Icelandic ditty comes along with its quirky, minimal instrumentation.
At this point, if Björk did a record of all kazoos, it wouldn't surprise me. And while I have faith that she'll make another incredible record (after the mediocre Volta), it wouldn't be a shock if she sunk further into her own pretension. But I'll always have the good times when Debut was on constant repeat for hours.
TRACKLIST Human Behaviour Cying Venus as a Boy There's More to Life Than This [Live] Like Someone in Love Big Time Sensuality One Day Aeroplane Come to Me Violently Happy Anchor Song - Play Dead* Atlantic*
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