OTR: Björk - Debut

Debut is not actually Björk's first album as a solo artist. That honour goes to the 1977 release Björk Gudmundsdóttir, which features the singer at eleven years old! Versions of the album on compact disc are only available as bootlegs and, from what I've read, the album is about as enjoyable as Y Kant Tori Read. There is a reason some things are obscure...

For all intents and purposes, 1993's Debut is Björk's proper solo debut. Of course, at the time of it's initial release, I was still listening to Meatloaf and had purchased Mazzy Star's So Tonight That I Might See for the single "Fade Into You." Björk was not even on my radar at twelve years old, to say nothing of The Sugarcubes.

I could fall back on the old "college radio introduced me..." routine, but it would be true this time. I first heard of Björk through the now defunct comedy website The Brunching Shuttlecocks. Contributor Lore Sjöberg was such a fan that he often referenced Björk in his satirical pieces, even going so far as to sing her praises in one instance.

It was in college radio that I actually heard Björk. By time I was voted in as the music director, she was making it onto the station's playlists.

I admit that I haven't spent as much time with Debut as I probably should have. It's a fine album that generally sticks to avant garde dance music when Björk isn't doing minimalistic ballads. I honestly don't think there is a bad song on this disc - even the goofy "Venus As A Boy" gains a certain quirky charm it this context of it's initial release (when listening to Björk's Greatest Hits I'd usually skip the sound as it sounded out of place and grated on me).

"One Day" has a kind of New Order chill to it, yet also sounds coloured by a slight Kate Bush influence. Just where, I know not for sure, but the track bears repeated listening. "Big Time Sensuality" is, of course, the dancefloor jam, but when played as a single, I actually prefer the Fluke Minimix version of the song (which is egregiously out of character for me, I know).

I do believe I need to get her other albums...right now there is a huge gap in my Björk collection...