Bjork Wows Chicago on Volta Tour

She's back and just as goofy and strange as before - Bjork, that is of course, the internationally renowned pop singer who dropped her latest album on May 8, 2007. Show dates on the east coast were scheduled in New York City and in the Midwest, Chicago. During my flight to Chicago I was a bit skeptical - her last album, Medulla, while being interesting artistically, was not exactly something that people could sing along with gleefully. For Medulla Bjork had gone where few artists had gone before, creating an acoustic album completely free from instruments but filled with the strange sounds of human beat boxes and other bizarre sounds one would not expect people to make. Volta, a return to Bjork's more pop-ish days, seems to have a space age sci-fi feel to it, as she dons a large red globe-like suit on the cover of the album.

Bjork's Chicago show started off with "Earth Intruders," the expected hit of Volta, which kept the audience interested but a bit hesitant - Volta had only been released four days before the concert and not many out of the huge Roosevelt Auditorium Theater were well versed with the songs. However, her follow up song "Venus as a Boy," classic Bjork, sent the audience into cries of joy. All they could see was Bjork dancing barefoot across the stage, her animated body shaking the simple but large gold dress that hung from her shoulders.

To say the least, Bjork has a powerful voice. To hear it live was nothing less than amazing, which the crowd agreed with by shouting in excitement of each recognized popular song. Only four or five songs were sang from Volta, as Bjork concentrated on pleasing the audience with classic favorites. Her understanding of vocal range is unbelievable. At times I felt that a microphone wasn't necessary because she produced so much energy.

The songs performed on Volta were no let down either. "Wanderlust," "I See Who You Are," and "Innocence" were all met with great enthusiasm. By the end of the show the crowd sang (or rather shouted) along with her catchy new hit "Declare Independence." With an encore of "Oceania," I highly doubt the disappointment of any audience members.

Bjork's performance proves that she is still the queen of the indie pop scene, not to be long forgotten but greatly anticipated to see just what she'll do next.