Backstage: Volta

Billboard gives us some insider information on Volta today, describing a lot of the artists that make guest appearances on the album and even giving us a taste of some lyrics.

Beats produced by Timbaland are prominently featured on three tracks: the intense opener "Earth Intruders" (which hits iTunes April 9) the space-age "Innocence" and "Hope." The latter lyrically alludes to the quandary of terrorism, with Bjork singing, "What's the lesser of two evils? / If a suicide bomber made to look pregnant / Manages to kill her target or not? / If she kills them or dies in vain? / Nature has fixed no limits on our hopes."

Antony Hegarty's quivering voice is a significant presence on the love song "Dull Flame of Desire," trading off with Bjork's floating melody over layers of brass. He is also heard on "My Juvenile," a track about motherhood. "I See Who You Are" features a contribution by Min Xiao-Fen on the pipa, a Chinese lute.

Thematically, "Volta" sways between paranoia, defiance and alienation to love, introspection and hope. Tracks like "Earth Intruders," "Vertebrae by Vertebrae" and "Declare Independence" are the most aggressive, her voice reaching feverish pitches amid eerie, glitchy arrangements. Balance is restored with several slow cuts, such as "Pneumonia" and "Dull Flame of Desire."

Anyone get tickets to Bjork's shows at United Palace, Radio City or The Apollo?