Music Review: Bjork "Alarm Call"
Bjork
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Alarm Call
Album: Homogenic
Year: 1998
According to Bjork on the official site, she thinks music can motivate people to change an aspect of their lives in the stunning "Alarm Call."
Alert bells chime as Bjork "oohs" in the background. Drum and bass is added into the mix which then leads into the first verse. She comments that she has visited many countries and seen how people act towards another. The behavior is interesting to her and she isn't put off by it. Although she's a loner, she's not afraid of people. She rather observe them. ("I have walked this earth/And watched people/It doesn't scare me at all/I can be sincere/And say I like them/It doesn't scare me at all.")
She adds people cannot go through life without believing in something or feeling some joy. ("You can't say no to hope/Can't say no to happiness.")
In the sort-of chorus (the structure strays from the usual formula of radio pop), she proclaims her goal: go the highest mountain in the world, turn on the radio and blast the giddy pop music playing. She wants people to let loose and forget their troubles for a while. The thought does not intimidate her at all. ("I want to go on a mountain-top/With a radio and good batteries/And play a joyous tune and/Free the human race/From suffering/It doesn't scare me at all.")
She doesn't believe in Buddhism, although hearing an excellent made pop song spurs her imagination. If someone attempts to crowd her and suffocate her opinons, it will only give her voice more strength. ("I'm no fucking buddhist/But this is enlightenment/The less room you give me/The more space I've got/It doesn't scare me at all.")
The pre-chorus ("you can't say no to hope/can't say no to happiness" is sung again as well as the chorus.
She tells people to stop being cynical and quit acting negatively towards one another. Otherwise, the human race will implode. However, not that many people listen to her message but she doesn't let it bother her. ("This is an alarm-call/So wake-up, wake-up now/Today has never happened/And it doesn't frighten me/It doesn't scare me at all.")
The pre-chorus ends the single.
Bjork's distinctive voice, which can be naive or ballsy depending on the lyric, is a treasure. She never has the same tone twice. Each single has it's own cells and burgeoning personality. "Alarm Call" is the anti-radio Max Martin song. It's techno flourishes and wordplay are challenging. But most importantly, it's accessible to those who may be curious about Bjork's sound.
Album: Homogenic
Year: 1998
According to Bjork on the official site, she thinks music can motivate people to change an aspect of their lives in the stunning "Alarm Call."
Alert bells chime as Bjork "oohs" in the background. Drum and bass is added into the mix which then leads into the first verse. She comments that she has visited many countries and seen how people act towards another. The behavior is interesting to her and she isn't put off by it. Although she's a loner, she's not afraid of people. She rather observe them. ("I have walked this earth/And watched people/It doesn't scare me at all/I can be sincere/And say I like them/It doesn't scare me at all.")
She adds people cannot go through life without believing in something or feeling some joy. ("You can't say no to hope/Can't say no to happiness.")
In the sort-of chorus (the structure strays from the usual formula of radio pop), she proclaims her goal: go the highest mountain in the world, turn on the radio and blast the giddy pop music playing. She wants people to let loose and forget their troubles for a while. The thought does not intimidate her at all. ("I want to go on a mountain-top/With a radio and good batteries/And play a joyous tune and/Free the human race/From suffering/It doesn't scare me at all.")
She doesn't believe in Buddhism, although hearing an excellent made pop song spurs her imagination. If someone attempts to crowd her and suffocate her opinons, it will only give her voice more strength. ("I'm no fucking buddhist/But this is enlightenment/The less room you give me/The more space I've got/It doesn't scare me at all.")
The pre-chorus ("you can't say no to hope/can't say no to happiness" is sung again as well as the chorus.
She tells people to stop being cynical and quit acting negatively towards one another. Otherwise, the human race will implode. However, not that many people listen to her message but she doesn't let it bother her. ("This is an alarm-call/So wake-up, wake-up now/Today has never happened/And it doesn't frighten me/It doesn't scare me at all.")
The pre-chorus ends the single.
Bjork's distinctive voice, which can be naive or ballsy depending on the lyric, is a treasure. She never has the same tone twice. Each single has it's own cells and burgeoning personality. "Alarm Call" is the anti-radio Max Martin song. It's techno flourishes and wordplay are challenging. But most importantly, it's accessible to those who may be curious about Bjork's sound.