Ever heard of mouth music? It's a traditional technique for producing music with nothing except rhythmic vocals -- literally, just music from the mouth. Quirky Icelandic Bjork isn't a Celt, but she takes the term "mouth music to new heights in the enchantingly challenging "Medulla," an album whose music is based on the voice.

Bjork embarks on her strangest and most experimental musical journey here. Not just one kind of song, but many -- majestic medieval-flavored music to pop to hymns to an eerie vocal ballad backed by throat singing. Bjork even beatboxes with a choir behind her, giving a sort of classical hip-hop sound to the music. Can't get that just anywhere.

"Medulla" isn't entirely devoid of instrumentation... the non-vocal variety, that is. There's a pretty piano solo to "Ancestors," and the deep bassline of "Submarine." Keyboards pop up occasionally But those are the exception -- most of the time it's Bjork's soft vocals, singing, grunting, whistles, and various gutteral sounds -- sort of a dolphin-on-acid noise. It's wonderfully weird.

After the pretty but vaguely monotonous "Vespertine," Bjork just bursts out with her new sound. What's strangest is the effect it has when one is listening to it -- it's powerful and visceral, lulling you one moment and making you shiver the next. At times it's unnerving -- the grunts range from sexy to ghastly, and are enough to make you squirm -- but it never fails to provoke a response.

"Medulla" isn't a full departure from her past material. The opening number has echoes of "Vespertine," while "Where is the Line" hints at "Homogenic." But the heart and soul of "Medulla" rests in an entirely new zone, far away from the icy grandeur of her past trip-hop. This is a darker, thicker sound, backed by Robert Wyatt's odd vocals and a choir.

Bjork proves again that she is an artist in every sense of the word -- she doesn't just make wonderful music, but she explores into new and thrilling musical arenas. Revolutionary, sultry, and a jolt to the system.

I received this album through a presale from Bjork's record label website. In this first week, I have listened to the album a total of 31 times according to iTunes. I must say that I was initially disappointed with the acapella sound of the album. However, this album has really grown on me. I start to forget that the "instruments" that I'm hearing are really all human voices. Some notable tracks are 'Who is it', 'Where is the line', 'Mouth's Cradle', 'Show me forgiveness' and 'The pleasure is all mine.'

There is only really one song that I still do not like, and that is 'Ancestors' It starts out beautifully, with layers of Bjork's beautiful voice building up on one another, and then in comes the sound of what seems to be a dog choking. I have begun to be able to tune that part out with enough listens, but it still remains as a sore spot on the album.

I would highly recommend this album to the casual and hardcore Bjork fan. Every one of Bjork's albums has been so different, and this is probably the most conceptual album she has produced so far. It may take a few listens to appreciate fully, at least it did for me. Now I love the album. Thumbs up to Bjork!

This is the sound Bjork has been leading us to since her debut album "Debut". Challenging? Difficult? Down-right Bizarre? Yes. Rewarding? Absolutely. Layers upon layers of voices, some beautiful, some other-wordly, some almost scary, used in all manners of ways. NO ONE TODAY IS MAKING MUSIC LIKE THIS. Bjork is a genius, and is never afraid to go places others will not ( or cannot ) go with their music. She knows no limits. Most artists of her caliber start off strange, and slowly work their way toward the mainstream. Bjork, God bless her, is doing just the opposite. Her music continues to get weirder and weirder. But not just for "weirdness" sake , and it is still highly listenable, enjoyable, and illuminating. I have listened to this cd 4 times all the way through, but only in my truck on the way home from the retail outlet I bought it from and in my computer on my desk. It sounds great, but I CAN'T WAIT to get this cd home and listen to it on earphones. I am sure it will open itself up, and will reveal much more to me as I delve deeper into the rich tapestry of sound. ( A side note to the young man at Best Buy who tried to convince me the $ 19.99 "special edition" of this cd includes the dvd of the making of Medulla - it DOESN'T, you idiot , it's only got a poster in it.THAT'S why I opened it and left it in the bin and bought the $11.99 regular version instead.)

before i say the unpositive things i am about to say about this album, let me say that i really like most of bjork's music. she has been tickling my ears with the most unusual yet listenable pop since her first albums with the sugarcubes, and while i have come to expect something different from each subsequent effort, i could always count on being seduced each time. which is why i was so disappointed with "medulla". i know. she's being an artist. she's pushing the envelope. she's broadening my tastes. no, she was just trying my patience. track after track of waiting for the song to get good, but having to skip forward out of shear aural irritation. i'm sure there are people for whom this album will be just the sort of thing they've been longing for, but for me it will probably be the last bjork album i buy without listening first.

This CD is Bjork's most avant garde aurual journey to date. The best way to describe it is to compare it to her previous album 'Vespertine' since that is a stepping stone to this album.

New fans be warned, if you haven't heard Bjork before this might be a bad place to start checking her out but current fans, put your seatbelts on.

The bulk of this cd is very acapella like and the songs rely strongly on chorus that is sometimes interwoven into the actual song itself. Beats are at a minimal either volume wise or composition wise. Although the rich samples Bjork is infamous for are here. All those complex bass samples fill virtually every track but they're very laid back and mellow, compared with her previous albums.

Track by track review:

1. Pleaseure is all Mine - The song starts with a chorus (all Bjork) and quickly she starts singing. The song has a soft and slow feel and some soft bass sneaks it's way into the song. The beat is actually composed of vocal samples altered through a synthesizer so they sound proper. A men's chorus works it's way into the song later on and this song comes off very nicely with emotion.

2. Show me Forgiveness - This track is totally acapella, nothing but Bjork's voice with a soft echo. She actually does a nice job and Bjork's singing has improved over the years and it is to the point where she can carry a song with only her voice.

3. Where is the Line - This is the first full blown song on the album and it's very avant garde innovative. There is this bizarre but catching bass hit that sounds like it was composed from a guy's voice. A spooky chorus pops in and overall this song has an evil frientening sound to it that I enjoy. One of my personal favorites from this album.

4. Vokuro - Another acapella track here. It's just Bjork singing in her native tongue but this time she's accomponied with a haunting chorus. The track comes off very nicely and even if you don't understand her language, you will still enjoy this track.

5. Oll Birtan - Yet again another acapella track. This time it's 3 layers of bjork singing and it's hard to focus in on any specific track to figure out what she's saying. I didn't like this track but it's a nice short 1:55 so you don't have to deal with it for long.

6. Who is it - another full blown song (how few there are on this album). As always a slow intro and after half a minute some spooky synths work their way in and quickly some soft but chaotic breakbeat type beats come in. Some interesting note changes occur in here with the melody. I do like this track although it's just a step below 'Where is the Line'.

7. Oceania - starts out with a male humming and more males come in and start to sing. They actually go on to sing the song and it sounds as if Bjork is in there hiding with them. Eventually she does sing in the song. Yet again another acapella as it's purely voices.

8. Submarine - Another full blown song, this song has a sexy beat with some rich bass samples that sound as if they are reworked vocal sounds. The chorus takes some real interesting "ahhhhh" up and down the note scale. The singing is pretty simple here, no crazy choruses like some Bjork songs and she only belches a couple notes. Overall I like this track as it's interesting.

9. Sonnet / Unrealitiies IX - Starts with a chord sample that loops with a lot of clicks and pops. I don't know if this was intenional or not as some other groups (Postal Service) have released a song that did this also. There's never a beat per say but later on some bass sneaks in now and then with the chord. I like this track as it's a minimal piece of work.

10. Desired Constellation - Another acapella track with just Bjork and a chorus. Honestly by this time in the album I've gotten a little tired of beat-less songs with the only melody coming from the chorus or Bjork. It's a well made track, but I think Bjork is overdueing this new style she's playing with.

11. Ancestors - some sad piano work with a vocal sample that sounds like weeping in reverse. It's actually a nice track until half way through when some bizarre breathing sample like a tortured animal kicks in, it changes but stays throughout the entire song, pretty much ruining it.

12. Mouth's Cradle - this song possibly sums up this album all together. Bjork with a chorus and some good bass work, yet again vocal inspired. You'll be surprised how many of the samples are actually from somebody's mouth but manipulated to form a beat.

13. Mivikudags - Yet again a song with 2 or 3 layers of Bjork singing making it hard to focus on what she's saying, if she's even singing english. This track is better than her earlier attempt of this. There is a bit of bassy noise in the background this time.

14. Trimph of the Heart - the most bizarre but my favorite track from this album. There is some really wierd beat boxing (making beats from the mouth) and this track has almost a hip hop feel to it. It actualy an interesting track even though it's also very wierd.

Overall I'd say Bjork really went off the deep end for this album. I think this will be a love it or hate it album, there is no middle ground. If you really liked 'Vespertine' then I think you will like this album as it takes 'Vespertine' to the extreme. If you disliked that album, I think you will absolutely hate this album.