Björk
Utopia One Little Indian
HHHH “Two music nerds obsessing . . . sending each other MP3s,” sings Björk euphorically, over harp arpeggios, while multitracked Björks chirp like cherubs in the background. The track, a very Björkian reverie titled “Blissing Me,” sets the tone for a record that’s in some ways a polar opposite of 2015’s incandescently brooding Vulnicura. That LP was a surgical examination of post-breakup grief, framed by lush strings. Utopia mostly sends the orchestra packing, building its bright-lit world around birdsong samples, flutes, harp, choir and electronics, with input from innovative co-producers Arca and Rabit.
The set radiates whimsy and pleasure – the opener, “Arisen My Senses,” is a breathless barrage of pop timbres, a musical multiple orgasm. But Utopia is no more “pop” than Vulnicura, and…
