Utopia opens with "Arisen My Senses," an atmospheric song heavy in harp with a strange warbling sound at the beginning. Björk's vocal track throughout certain parts of the song are very loud and prominent, and although somewhat repetitive, the song speaks of allowing herself to open up (both emotionally and physically) to love and sex. The sexual references on the album are another reason why the album reminds me a bit of Vespertine. Although then referring to Matthew Barney, that album, like Utopia (which even features a photo in its booklet of Björk wearing a strap-on dildo), was not afraid of exhibiting sexual themes. (Songs/videos such as "Cocoon" and "Pagan Poetry" serve as prime examples.) The song makes reference to her new feelings being like a mixtape being created, which makes its transition into the second track on Utopia, the aforementioned "Blissing Me," a sensible one. "Blissing Me" is another song driven by harp, although it is a much softer and gentler song than its predecessor. It is lyrically very cute, as it speaks of falling in love with someone over your shared tastes in music (which is why I said before that it is a good follow-up to "Arisen My Senses"). Some fans have likened it to "Headphones," a song from her 1995 album Post, as that song refers to her love for music and its therapeutic power. "Blissing Me" is one of my favorite songs from the album because of its cute and innocent theme and its beautiful melody and harp accompaniment.
The song's third track is its first single, "the gate." I won't say much about this song because as already stated, I have already reviewed it, but I will say that I think that this song also could have worked as Utopia's opening track because its first line begins with "My healed chest wound...," a clear reference both to her experience that inspired Vulnicura and the album itself. (The album cover features Björk with a gaping hole in her chest, and songs on the album refer to her chest wound.) The fourth track on the album is the title track, one of the more unusual songs on the album. The song's accompaniment is composed primarily of flutes and strange birdlike calls, which makes sense because both play a part in the song's lyrics, as the song opens: "Bird species never seen or heard before, the first flute carved from the first fauna..." There are parts of the song which seem to refer to climate change, such as when, near the end of the song, Björk sings, "Huge toxic tumor bulging underneath the ground here. Purify, purify, purify, purify toxicity." I find the song very beautiful, but my only complaint with it is that, perhaps in deliberate juxtaposition with "Arisen My Senses," Björk's vocal track is quieter than the instrumental accompaniment and, at times, is drowned; it is sometimes difficult to comprehend the lyrics.
"Body Memory" is an ambient song reminding me of her 2005 soundtrack album Drawing Restraint 9; Drawing Restraint 9 features a strong Japanese influence, and a similar influence seems to be present here. The song also features sound effects such as birdcalls and catlike growling, and a little more than halfway through, a choir kicks in and steals the song, with Björk wailing dramatically on top. At nearly ten minutes long, it is the longest song on the album, and its lyrical content speaks to her relationship with nature. It is another song that works as a sequel to Vulnicura, however, as it makes several references to the split that inspired Vulnicura. She even brings herself back to how she felt - how the death of her relationship felt like her death overall (a feeling that she highlighted on the Vulnicura track "Notget"). "Do I accept this ending?" she sings here. "Will I accept my death...?" The way that I interpret this song is that it's about healing; she is saying that her love for nature and for the world around her is ultimately what helped her on her journey toward healing: "Then the body memory kicks in, and I trust the unknown. Unfathomable imagination, surrender to future." This, in other words, is a reminder to herself to not fear the future and the unknown but to embrace it (a theme also present on the album's closing track, "Future Forever"), and her reference to her "body memory" reminds me of how she said during the Vulnicura era that the grieving process is a biological one.
The sixth track is titled "Creatures Features," a reversal of the term "creature feature" (or, in other words, monster movie). The song reminds me of her 2004 album Medúlla because a large portion of that album is a cappella, and much of the accompaniment in this song is provided by human chanting. The song also reminds me melodically of her cover of "Like Someone in Love" (found on her 1993 album Debut), which is probably not a coincidence because both songs are love songs and feature somewhat similar themes. Björk seems to once again be addressing her ex-partner Matthew Barney, as she says, "When I spot someone who is same height as you and goes to same record stores [once again accentuating her love for music], I literally think I am five minutes away from love. When I hear someone with same accent as yours, asking directions with the same beard as yours, I literally think I am five minutes away from love." It is my belief that she is, as previously stated, addressing Barney, saying that she, whether consciously or not, looks for traits in new prospects that are similar to his traits. This actually makes perfect sense because she was with Barney for thirteen years, meaning that that relationship is likely now her go-to model. I can completely relate to this because I was with the love of my life for five years, and I usually find myself attracted to people who, in general, have similar characteristics as he did/does. (I am looking at you, Keir Gilchrist. I am convinced that you are his long-lost brother.)
"Courtship" is very similar to the title track, featuring a similar musical accompaniment, similar not only because it is played on woodwinds but also because it is very similar melodically. The term courtship, of course, refers to a period in two people's lives in which romantic and sexual feelings develop, and it can also refer to a marriage proposal. Björk is likely yet again contemplating her ex-lover on this track, especially since some lyrics seem to run parallel to lyrics on Vulnicura. She opens "Courtship" with the following: "...His veins full of lead, he's left with loving what he lost more than what he has." The primary reason why I think that this might be a reference to Matthew Barney is that it reminds me of lyrics on Vulnicura such as these ones from "Black Lake": "I did it for love. I honored my feelings. You betrayed your own heart, corrupted that organ." Yet another line that comes to mind is from "Notget": "Will you not regret having love let go?" The similarity between "Courtship" and Vulnicura songs such as these two lies in the idea that she not only lost something but so did he, that he betrayed not only her but also himself. (This vividly reminds me of a line from a song called "Human Spirit" by Dolores O'Riordan, who coincidentally sadly passed away today: "Don't betray your lover; you will just betray yourself.")
Another highlight on Utopia is "Losss." (I have tried coming up with an answer, but I do not know or understand why the word is misspelled with an extra s.) This song could thematically be a song on Vulnicura, as it deals with almost identical subject matter, except in a bit more of a positive light: "I didn't allow loss... didn't harden from pain. The pain we have will always be there but the sense of full satisfaction too." The song examines loss and its role in our lives as human beings; it does have the potential to harden us and make us hateful, but it also has the potential to make us stronger, more self-sufficient, and more appreciative. "How we make up for it defines who we are," Björk asserts. I love this song and consider it a highlight on Utopia not only because of its positive and empowering message to which I wholeheartedly relate but also because of its beautiful sound, especially because of its haunting harp accompaniment. "Sue Me," although not necessarily one of my favorite songs from the album, is interesting because it takes the album in a new direction, a more electronic one as opposed to the organic one heard throughout most of the album. The song is likely an important one to Björk as it is about her and Barney's daughter and the custody battle that has followed their separation. She tackles the same subject matter that she did on the Vulnicura track "Family," which is that their separation has essentially destroyed not only a partnership but a family.
"Tabula Rasa" (Latin for "blank slate") returns the album to a more organic sound, driven almost entirely by woodwinds. It is potentially the first time that Björk has delved into the reasons why her relationship with Matthew Barney ended. Vulnicura brutally dealt with her feelings on the matter but not really with the reasons. "Tabula Rasa," however, tells us that "we are all swollen from hiding his affairs" and that "he led two lives." This probably tells us that Barney was likely unfaithful in the relationship. She once again refers to her daughter in this song, telling her that "my deepest wish is that you're immersed in grace and dignity... I hoped to give you the least amount of luggage." Here Björk is essentially writing a love letter to her daughter, telling her that she hopes that what her father did and what the consequences of that were haven't negatively impacted her too indelibly, that she can still continue to grow in "grace and dignity." "Oh, how I love you," she reminds her. "Embarrassed to pass this mess over to you." "Tabula Rasa" functions as a reminder of how brutally honest that Björk is through her music. Similarly to how Vulnicura made some of us (myself definitely included) feel, some of the songs on Utopia feel so intensely personal that hearing them and/or reading their lyrics feels like voyeurism. This song, after all, comes across as an extremely personal love letter written to her daughter. The bravery exhibited by baring her soul in such a way is immensely admirable.
Finally moving away from the subject of her separation, Björk takes us almost seamlessly into "Claimstaker" (likely stylized in such a way so as to be read as both "claim staker" and as "claims taker"). Although the lyrics to "Claimstaker" are very brief (only fourteen lines), the song runs at over three minutes long because of how drawn out most of the notes are. As I mentioned before, this is probably my favorite song on the album primarily because of how drawn that I am to its electronic energy and drive. It is carried heavily by swirling synths and, like "Body Memory," touches upon Björk's intimate relationship with nature. The song is then followed up by a short instrumental piece played on woodwinds, a piece called "Paradisia" (which, of course, means paradise, another word for utopia); it's absolutely beautiful and lush and features the birdcalls from "the gate" and "Utopia." "Saint" is somewhat of a low point on the album for me. Another song driven by woodwinds, it stays pretty stagnant without really developing. My opinion regarding this song could always, of course, one day change, as music sometimes takes a while to grow on me, but one aspect of this song that I definitely do love is its closing statement: "Music heals, too. I'm here to defend it." This reminds me of a statement that she made following the release of Vulnicura, about how she hoped that the songs on Vulnicura would act as "a crutch to others." They most certainly did for me; I give Vulnicura, at the very least, half of the credit for my eventually coming to terms with losing my ex. It helped me heal immensely.
Utopia's closing track is "Future Forever," ending the album on an incredibly hopeful and positive note. The song, a very quiet and peaceful song driven by what sounds like the light chimes of an organ (although I could be mistaken), encourages listeners to stop living in the past and to start looking at what the future might have to offer: "Imagine a future, and be in it," she advises. "Feel this incredible nurture; soak it in. Your past is on loop; turn it off. See this possible future, and be in it." The song makes an effective conclusion to Utopia, and I, overall, really love this album. As previously mentioned, it is, once again, intensely personal, and I applaud Björk for such bravery. It is quite clear that music is something that she needs and even feeds on, which creates a mutual core (See what I did there?) for both her and most of her listeners because even though I obviously cannot speak for anyone else, Björk's music is therapeutic for me, having helped me through some of the most difficult periods of my life. I will say, however, that I hope for a return to high energy in the future, as I would love to hear more tracks like "Crying," "There's More to Life than This," "Violently Happy," "Army of Me," "Mutual Core," etc., but I will take Björk in just about any format that she has to offer.
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