Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
Filed under: Album Reviews by Liam1 Comment »
Of course, the mythology is important.
When Justin Vernon’s band broke up, he retreated to his father’s hunting cabin in the wisconsin wilderness. It was the beginning of winter, and he remained, isolated in the snow and trees for three months. This is what happened.
A startling debut seamlessly painting the wintry landscape, slow and soft and pleading to quiet sensibilities, that universal yearning for simple times, to though and understanding, but not hopelessness. It feels like the thaw, the observation of the seasons and the tender progress of time. It is an elegant portrait of a man in retrospect, and though lyrically it is secretive, the overall tone of the record is strikingly intimate.
Demure in it’s simplicity, ‘For Emma..’ is for the most part carried by Vernon’s double layered falsetto and a steady, unassuming guitar, with occasional assistance from somewhat random elements (the trombone in the title track is surprisingly cohesive) and fleeting percussion.
The songs are full and definitive yet you are left with the lingering impression that it is entirely unintentional;moreover, that it is sprung unceremoniously from one design.
The wolves is perhaps best reflective of the environment in which it was born. Stark at first, it hints at long ago blues before building texturally into a brief shoe gazing interlude.
Skinny love is easily the most accessible song on the record, with a twang in the guitar and a repetitive melody, the yelp of ‘my,my,my’ and the bark of the chorus stand up as a ‘pop’ element.
Whilst initially the under developed aspects of songs like ‘team; and ;blindsided’ can be overlooked, these are the songs that catch you out when you listen again.
Closer ‘re; stacks’ demonstrates how this is not the run of the mill singer/songwriter release. Rich and soulful without force of ego, Bon Iver leaves you gently overwhelmed.
Rating: 
Credit: Emma
