Probably the best possible version of a concert based around Vespertine, an album almost claustrophobic in its intimacy. Bjork has always been a somewhat erratic live performer (ranging from "good" to "amazing"), but, predictably, she seems to be becoming a bit more of a professional with age. Her solution to the obvious difficulty of staging something like Vespertine live in a venue as large as the Royal Opera House is to simply punch it up a bit. Consequently, some of what makes the album so special is lost (though some of the discomfort that often coincides with the album is also gone). But that doesn't mean it isn't made up for in other areas.
Vespertine does have a "big" side, but it's slightly tongue in cheek, a reflection of and counterpoint to the tiny revelations contained in the music. This angle is played up in the concert to great affect, making the whole affair rather impressive but not for the cynical. The harpist Zeena Parkis is a wonder to behold (I've never seen someone do to a harp what she does) and Matmos is absolutely perplexing, but it's fun to watch them selectively recreate sounds by stepping on ice or clapping or rubbing a microphone on clothing. The Inuit choir gets the job done, but I was hoping she might bring in the giant childrens choir used on the album. I mean, if you are gonna go over the top, you might as well go all the way, right? I'm still waiting for an updated version of "Birthday," however...
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