Bon Iver Review

Last week, the second Bon Iver album was released. This one is self titled for good reason. With For Emma, Forever Ago, a story was being told. The music was a reflection of Justin Vernon's retreat to solitude due to sickness, both physically and emotionally. It was a cold, lonely collection of songs. This time around, Justin and the band have cranked up the volume and put a spin on their sound to make a much more grandiose sophmore album.

Since his debut, Justin Vernon has been all over the music industry. He made a few appearances on Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and was one of the big members of indie supergroup, Gayngs. The group's musical growth is obvious from the very first song, "Perth." I found this song to be almost post-rockesque with it's loud-quiet-dynamics. The guitars and drums were also reminiscent of something you might hear from Mogwai.  From start to finish, we're given grander instrumentation. That difference makes Bon Iver a less "folky" project. It's closer to what you might expect from more traditional indie or even indie rock.

Influences for this album seem to reach across multiple genres and decades. The sounds combine to create an album that's obviously indie without being generic. My only real issue with it is the vocals. While I love Vernon's voice, it's hard to understand what he's saying. Usually I wouldn't care all that much but if his lyrics are nearly as meaningful here as they are on For Emma, then they're completely worth paying attention to. I think it's obvious that Bon Iver is an improvement, musically, but I can't say yet if I like it better. For Emma, Forever Ago was raw emotion unlike most things I've ever heard. Bon Iver is a real album. Regardless of my feelings towards it, it proves that this band is not a one hit wonder. They are not destined to be defined by the hit success of their first album. Expect these guys to be around for a while, leading the way in the indie scene.

Favorite track: Perth. Check it out here.