One record at a time: 26. Björk - Vespertine

"Vespertine" is the last Björk vinyl in my collection and like many of the others this is the coloured vinyl that was released in 2015. Strangely my copy doesn't have the corresponding promo sticker on the sleeve so I'm not sure if it from the original 5000 or it just got missed in the manufacturing process. At the time of the original album's release I bought the limited 'gatefold' CD with a card sleeve. This version was mildly irritating as it was much bigger than a standard CD case and I remember it wouldn't fit into my chosen storage solution - clearly I didn't have much to worry about in 2001.

This is something of a break up album for Björk and I. "Hidden Place" was a great single that raised my hopes that its parent album was going to maintain the high standards of previous efforts: but alas I was to be disappointed. How anyone can hear "Cocoon" and think, "That's a single!" is beyond me. The song is boring, the vocal is rubbish and the production is dull. The next track "It's Not Up To You" is fantastic and would have made a far better single than "Cocoon". "Undo" comes and goes without leaving an impression before the mildly entertaining single "Pagan Poetry" helps round out the first record.

To be honest I don't have the will to write about each song on the second disc individually. There is nothing remarkable here and whilst there is another flash of greatness with the last track "Unison", this is generally pretty boring stuff. I'm not sure why this album is so highly regarded by critics and some fans. I acknowledge that my love of electronic music can sometimes leave me blind to music created by other means and unfortunately, this album doesn't do enough to open my eyes more than halfway. 2/5