Bon Iver's first album 'For Emma, Forever Ago' was released to wide critical aclaim, it was just a man in a cabin pouring his heart and soul into an accoustic guitar. Lead singer/songwriter Justin Vernon could have easily went down that path again, but in a strange move, he didn't. His follow up self titled album is full of eary layered vocals and haunting soundscapes and a lot of it gels. Take the opening track 'Perth' it builds up beautfully to a thundering drum beat and a great horn section. Some Nearly every song on this album is evidence of the great songwriting talent this man possesses. 'Holocene' and 'Calgary' are two of the best songs of last year, and even songs like 'Minnesota, WI' that seem like filler at first serve their purpose as you gain a better understanding of them after every listen. One thing a lot of people will notice is how hard the layered vocals are to understand and if people really want to get to the root of what Vernon is singing about they will have to resort to lyric finders on the internet, though that is just a small gripe to have seeing as you will just get absorbed in this album, forgetting about everything except the wonderfull msic at hand. On this album Bon Iver really have reinvented themselves and grown out of the indie folk shell they blossomed in, it was a daring move but if you put time into this album and give it a few listens it will pay off.
9/10
Tomm
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