I got the new Bon Iver album today. I gave it a quick listen this morning while recording my podcast. I played a track from it. Calgary. Canadian twist, I thought. Worth the spin. A couple hours later, while catching up on some paperwork and making lunch, I was able to listen to the whole album. In his sophomore self-titled release, Justin Vernon created a masterpiece. Each ingredient that went into the musical salad jolted a whole new life into the band and the music they make. Even though it's the bands name on the record cover, Bon Iver is really Vernon's baby.
“I brought in a lot of people to change my voice — not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project,” Vernon told Rolling Stone Magazine. “I built the record myself, but I allowed those people to come in and change the scene.” Those people were the hired help Vernon searched out to make that perfect sound for each track. Names included Colin Stetson of Arcade Fire and TV on the Radio fame and steel guitarist Greg Leisz
Each song made was a place. And each song made had a different sound. When I heard Calgary earlier, it had a graceful pop vibe to it. Vernon was reminiscent of the great Robert Wyatt.. Perth was described as a "Civil War-sounding heavy metal song," while Minnesota, WI scores heavy on the distorted sax and picked guitars.
Like a good movie, Vernon directed his audio blockbuster as a classic to listen to over and over again. Finding new sounds. Stories. Secrets. Treasures with every listen. I did wrong earlier skimming through the album. It's deffinatly not a skimmer. It's a sit down-lay back-rest your feet-and indulge type of album that will make your mind wander. Wander into new directions with every play.
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