Bjork

Bjork has always been the people's weirdo, tempering her experimental tendencies with a singer-songwriterly intimacy and the occasional pop beat. But the brooding, delightfully heavy-on-the-weird Volta dispenses with the populism. She's on a martial kick, and marches like "Earth Intruders" are the most accessible. Her ongoing infatuation with low brass, dalliances with the African kora and the Chinese pipa, and why-didn't-this-happen-sooner duets with Antony anchor other tracks. As for the rest, it's not an easy first date. Falling in love requires more than one listen.