For Emma, Forever Ago, the debut album by Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) released in the UK in 2008, is not an album you can listen to lightly. The songs demand attention to be truly appreciated.
The simple rhythmic strumming of the guitar and the periods of unaccompanied singing add a stripped quality to the music; Vernon’s quivering falsetto delivers unbridled emotion. There is no doubt that its production has played a massive part in this album’s success. Written and recorded by Justin Vernon in a log cabin in northwest Wisconsin, the album is extremely minimalistic – consisting mainly of Vernon’s voice creeping over deep, earthy acoustic guitar. The raw power transmitted by the untouched, unpolished quality of the sound is truly incredible.
It is this quality that separates him from the rest of his contemporaries and makes the album so incredibly moving. Vernon has poured all his life’s heartache into 9 songs.
The highlights include opener Flume, which makes up for its somewhat ambiguous lyrics ("Only love is all maroon/ Lapping lakes like leery loons") with a stunningly beautiful melody. The trumpets and guitar in For Emma are also wonderful – free to weave in and out of Vernon’s vocals, dancing around the rest of the accompaniment. However, the masterpiece of the album comes at the end. Re: Stacks, the epitome of everything Bon Iver, is a gentle lament over a night of drunken gambling ("There’s a black crow sitting across from me/ His wiry legs are crossed/ He’s dangling my keys/ He even fakes a toss"). The chorus is a short, sweet number surrounded by the long, languishing verse.
The album is worth every second invested. It's an album filled with melancholy, heartbroken, world-weary songs. If you are yet to experience Bon Iver (one of the minority) then go look him up. For fans of Fleet Foxes, Goldheart Assembly, Grizzly Bear and Laura Marling
Top Songs: Skinny Love, For Emma, Re:stacks, Flume
Also, check out La Blogotheque on youtube for some awesome videos of Bon Iver playing live. As well as other bands like Fleet Foxes and Phoenix. Their "Take Away Show" series is really great.
No comments:
Post a Comment