25/02/2019: “It’s Oh So Quiet” by Bjork

Bjork is a very interesting musician. With a background in punk, she has a powerful, very expressive, and quite unique voice.

The way she sings utilises a big dynamic range, with some unusual lengthening of certain syllables, and explosive changes in volume.

She also has a tendency to sing over quite avant garde instrumentals, usually electronic.

This is actually a bit of a disappointment for her, because it’s a cover of a 1951 song by Betty Hutton, which in turn is a rendition of a German song.

The reason why it is a disappointment for her is because it’s quite different from her other stuff, both in terms of the style (very upbeat, and with a heavy 50s tinge), and the singing (also quite 50s and relatively conventional). But it was her most popular song, whereas she really wanted to champion new music.

However, it’s a great song. Bjork’s Icelandic accent makes it even more intriguing, and her unique style of singing lends itself very well to the up and down nature of the tune. The verses are almost whispered, and the choruses are very loud!

Bjork’s version was released in 1995 on the album Post.

What a voice!

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