On first hearing, it's Volta's beats that stand out. Timbaland (Jay-Z, Missy Elliot etc) lends a radical, tribal-electro vibe to three tracks, while the distorted African rhythms of the Congolese troupe Konono No 1 are also manipulated to thrilling effect.
Equally remarkable are the experimental, avant-garde influences that she somehow manages to render totally accessible (something she has been able to do since her Sugar Cubes days), not least in the brilliant ‘found sound' collage of ships' horns which opens Wanderlust. Then there's her voice, as abandoned and as outré as we've heard her, without ever sounding mannered. A dazzling record.
Who else would have thought of combining Timbaland's beats with the delicate filigree of Toumani Diabate's kora? Björk does so on Hope and the track's sheer audaciousness acts as a cipher for the entire album. Stunning stuff from a musical and sonic standing.
