November 13th 2021, Bjork at the Opera House

I became a fan of The Sugarcubes when they put out "Life's Too Good" in 1988, a collection of eclectic and alien songs that were strangely compelling. It was an album that ran a gamut of moods and feelings, moving deftly between the joyful celebration of Birthday and the unsettling unease of Coldsweat with a skill that many bands at the time couldn't dream of. Over the course of the next few years The Sugarcubes released a handful of albums that challenged Pop ideals and aesthetics, randomly releasing tracks that were willfully obscure or brilliantly resonant until they broke up in 1992. 

You'd think that their break up would be the end of the story, but a year later lead singer Bjork released her first solo album "Debut", and, well, that kind of suggested that The Sugarcubes were the prequel to a whole different story. To say that "Debut" is anything less than a perfect blend of sounds and styles is an understatement. The entire album was immediately accessible and appealing, quirky yet connective, slick and sleek and thoroughly awesome, a bold new sound that laid the foundation for Bjork to be recognized as a significant and relevant artist who's distinct and unique work would continue to develop over the course of the next few decades.

It's impossible to imagine that she would have known where her solo career would take her at that point, but there was no question that Bjork was completely confident and sure of herself when she came to Toronto in support of the album. Her show at the Opera House was an excellent study in the mechanics of live performance featuring a complete run through the album along with a stunning version of Play Dead taken from a soundtrack that was released around the same time. She jumped around wildly during a spirited performance of Violently Happy, and during the instrumental parts in Big Time Sensuality she charged head first at her band members like a bull. It was a great show on a variety of levels, but most importantly it ably demonstrated Bjork's vast talent and creativity, one of her first steps as a solo artist on a unique and exciting musical journey that continues to this day...