Very nice single.
W. E. Phillips | USA | 12/31/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Björk has never been one to take the safe route or to simply be "normal," but 2005's Medulla (originally to be titled Ink) was even out-of-the-box for her. The album was composed (almost) completely of voices, striving for a primitive, ancient, yet modern sound. The experiment remains my second favorite album of hers, right next to the masterpiece that is Homogenic, and the effort was immediately exalted by the critics as a risk that proved to be entertaining, artistic, and beautiful; however, Medulla was extremely divisive among her fans. You either love it, appreciate it, or just plain hate it. Her less dedicated fans who continuously searched for music in the style of Debut were pretty much all driven off by the disc. (The Drawing Restraint 9 soundtrack did it if Medulla failed). "Who Is It" was the first proper single from Björk's fifth studio album. Being my absolute favorite off the album--and the track with the most mainstream/crossover appeal--it was a wise choice.
"Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)" is a joyous song. The video shows this, with the singer prancing around a green field in a bell suit. The song begins with soaring harmonization from Björk, then slips into a soft, deep bass, and whispery vocals. It soon picks up with a slur of sounds, including some phenominal beatboxing from Rahezel. The lyrics are beautiful and the song is overall just plain enjoyable. The radio edit, not the album version, is included here. It's not much different, it just cuts off a little bit of the "instrumentation" between the chorus and the second verse. Unfortunately, it also chops off most of the great, spontaneous ending, reducing the song by a minute to be more radio-friendly.
The second track, "Oceania" with Kelis, is the real treat and selling point of the single. The original track, which was performed at the 2004 opening ceremony of the Olympics, never was released as a proper single, it was simply used as promo and nothing more. The dramatic swirl of vocals was also one of the standout tracks on Medulla, and I must say that this alternate mix is just as good. Apparently, Kelis and Björk met in a dressing room for a fashion show and they decided that they should do some work together. (I love them both, but I never would have imagined that the two--who seem like polar opposites--could mix so naturally. Kelis recorded her deep, foggy vocals to be added, and even wrote a new verse where she takes on the role of the continents. (Björk is the ocean). The continets begin the song, the ocean comes next, and at the end they harmonize together. There are some added beats/beatboxing and the amazing remix alone makes the single worthy of the purchase.
Overall, this two track single is a bit too short for my tastes; it barely clocks in at six minutes altogether. In that perspective, it's quite pricy. (Also consider that the radio edit of "Who Is It" is basically filler). Still, I do not regret my purchase because I obtained the great Kelis version of "Oceania." The artwork by M/M Paris, the photgraphy by Inez and Vinoodh, and the interesting hair sculpture by Shoplifter that she sports on the cover also made the price seem a little more reasonable, since I love design and things like that. I would definitely recommend this to any Björk fan, especially if you like "Oceania.""
She Is Bjork!
Dogville | Sunny Island | 12/02/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I consider Who Is It to be the best single off Medulla. Upbeat and cheerful, the song sings of recognizing the person who's able to share your joy and pain. The edit version of the song here is the shorter version of the album track. UIt's the only CD you'll find this song.
The b-side is the fabulous remix of Oceania featuring the undisputed funk soulstress Kelis whose sultry vocals amazingly merge with Bjork's intensity to great effect. I certainly welcome more collaborations with Kelis whose so funky herself.
Great CD. Get the remixes and the DVD single too. The video is simply gorgeous."
Track Listings (2) - Disc #1