Bjork - Selma Songs - Elektra

Review by: Jennifer Perkins

Showtunes is the first thing that comes to mind when listening to Bjork's Selma Songs. New York show tunes. Hell the disc even has a track called "In the Musicals". Well as everyone with a television knows Selma Songs, comes by this description honestly since it is the soundtrack to her debut film Dancer in the Dark (where she is some what obssessed with musicals). A soundtrack seemed like a quite natural progression for Bjork since she had been hinting at this direction for a while now. Example A: Post's "It's Oh So Quiet", I knew it was coming even then. Even if the mention of Andrew Lloyd Weber makes your skin crawl, Selma Songs will not.

It is important to note, that this record is not really a follow up to Bjork's Homogenic, Selma Songs was just a glimmering side project along the way. Don't let the term "side project" discount anything, this record is spectacular, as is any Bjork release, it is just important to note that this is not a typical Bjork release. For one Dancer in the Dark director Lars Von Trier is credited with co-writing some of the song lyrics. Second, this is a soundtrack to a specialized musical film so Bjork's usual boundary-less creativity was boxed in a bit to stick with a theme. However, she still manages to let her ebullience exude as always even when working within guidelines.

Some high points of the disc are songs like "Cvalda" where the sounds of Industrial machinery are dubbed in and interlaced with instruments. In the film Bjork seems to hear music in everything, even in her job as a machinist. "Cvalda" a loud and upbeat number seems to embody the whole showtunes theme perfectly. Thom Yorke of Radiohead fame appears dueting with Bjork on "I've Seen it All", his pessimism toned vocals act as the perfect sounding board for Bjork's overly optimistic retorts.

This 7 song soundtrack was a welcome tide me over while we wait with baited breath to see what Bjork will bring us next. Dancer in the Dark is a lovely poignant film with an even better soundtrack. The film is wonderful, but without Bjork and her Selma Songs, the film would not be a standout in Lars Von Trier's repertoire. On the flip side, Selma Songs can be fully appreciated without ever seeing the film and is yet another accolade for Bjork.