Too many people discount the Icelandic songstress as that bizarre creature from the distant, frozen North. And too many people base this purely on It's Oh So Quiet, a song that's notably absent from her greatest hits. Bjork is a totally unique entity - she doesn't push boundaries, for her there are no boundaries.
Crystalline is taken from her upcoming album 'Biophillia' - a concept album that takes inspiration from nature's greatest phenomenon, ranging from crystals to DNA and plate tectonics. Her zany performance style is encapsulated in her worldwide tour which was kick-started in Manchester last night, featuring a voiceover by Sir David Attenborough and a number of uniquely crafted instruments.
The lyrics use growing "crystalline internal nebula" beneath the earth as a metaphor for human relationships and the production mimics this perfectly. The icy synths shiver through the music like shattering glass, expanding with syncopated rhythms. Then in the final minute all hell is unleashed with a complete pandomonium of sound, a heavy beat introduced straight from a drum and bass track. It's juxtaposed beautifully by the lyric "it's the sparkle you become / when you conquer anxiety", delivered with Bjork's equally ethereal and gutteral vocal.
Embrace the weirdness - Bjork's uniqueness deserves your attention.
4/5
