Björk never sits still. She has constantly experimented with her sound and evolved with each new project. Even in the first five years of her solo career, Björk’s music went through wild changes, from the melodic and pop-influenced “Debut”’ (1993) to the industrial-sounding “Homogenic” (1997). More recently, the artist has deepened her lyrical content emotionally and explored a more organic sound. On her new album “Fossora,” released Sept. 30, Björk’s music takes another step in this direction as she reflects on legacy and the events that shaped her life.
“Fossora,” which is the feminine form of the Latin word meaning “digger,” is not a casual listen; it requires your undivided attention to be appreciated fully. The album is less of a fun set of tunes to put on in the car and more of a fantastical journey, with its fusion of symphonic string arrangements, bass clarinet runs and gabber beats. On top of the complex instrumentation, Björk sings about many personal topics from the last decade of her life, from her divorce and her mother’s death to quarantine and her daughter leaving home. Despite the solemn nature of these events, “Fossora” is not an album about grief. It is about processing old pain and letting it decompose into the soil, where new growth can occur.
Before she gets into personal topics, Björk has a message for the whole world on the opening track, “Atopos.” “Are these not just excuses to not connect?/ Our differences are irrelevant,” Björk sings over a bass clarinet melody accompanied by techno drums. The song’s jarring instrumentation goes along with the important message about laying aside our differences to compromise.
The second track, “Ovule,” is perhaps one of the most memorable instrumentally due to its triumphant horn arrangement. On this track, Björk describes how her 2013 breakup with longtime lover Matthew Barney and a new relationship have reshaped her understanding of love. She reflects on how she used to think of love as simple and fantastical, evidenced by past tracks like “Venus as a Boy” from “Debut,” and how she now understands the many shapes love can take. Björk illustrates her complex understanding of love in her new relationship as a glass egg, or ovule.
Courtesy of One Little Independent Records.
After the complex themes explored in “Ovule,” the album takes a darker turn with “Sorrowful Soil” and “Ancestress,” which address the death of her mother in 2018. On “Sorrowful Soil,” Björk sings to her mother about motherhood with understanding. She ends the song repeating the phrase, “You did well,” a message she said she tried to “squeeze” into her mother on her deathbed. On “Ancestress,” Björk describes her mother toward the end of her life with a vocal melody repeated throughout each verse. On one of the most emotional points in the album, the instrumentation cuts out, save for an unaccompanied violin as Björk describes her mother’s death. The artist further connects this track to the album’s themes by addressing her mother’s legacy and their connection. Björk’s son, Sindri, is featured on the chorus of this track, furthering the familial legacy.
“Allow,” contrasts the previous darker tracks instrumentally with a joyous flute melody. While its preceding track, “Victimhood,” is a solemn tale about escaping self-pity, “Allow” is a celebration of moving on and growth. The song marks a pivot in the album from processing past grief to rebirth and growth. The latter half of “Fossora” contains happier instrumentals and themes of growth, rebirth and life.
Two tracks in the latter half explore Björk’s relationship with her new lover. “Fungal City,” which features backup vocals from serpentwithfeet, sees the singer welcome her new love into her world and admire his capacity to love and accept. This song is a journey that sees Björk reoriented by her partner’s loving nature. A few tracks later on “Freefall,” Björk describes herself falling into his arms, showing the trust built in this relationship while an epic string arrangement backs her up.
The title track serves as a culmination, instrumentally, of many of the previous elements throughout the album. Lyrically, this track is true to the meaning of the word “fossora,” as it is all about digging. More specifically, digging her old pain into the soil, where it will decompose and bring new life and growth. The track’s chorus is one of the album’s most melodic and joyous.
The final song, “Her Mother’s House,” is a beautiful song, featuring spoken poetry from Björk’s daughter. This track brings the album full circle and concludes the project by bringing back the topic of motherhood, this time between Björk and her daughter. Björk sings about letting her daughter go so she can grow. It uses one event to address all the themes of the album: motherhood, letting go, moving on and growth.
“Fossora” is an album born out of the time that the COVID-19 quarantine gave Björk to reconnect with her home and herself. Because of this, the listener must take time to see the comprehensive, emotional journey she has illustrated. “Fossora” may not have catchy, accessible tunes to sing along to in the shower, but that is because it is a symphony meant to be experienced in full.
Samuel Bartlett (26C, he/him) is from Durham, North Carolina whose major is undecided. Outside of the Wheel, Bartlett is involved with the Emory Climate Reality Project as an executive, helping plan events to raise awareness about climate change. He loves watching UNC basketball and exploring Atlanta.
