Living up to the Hype

I finally (thanks to Mike’s many suggestions) have a record from this year that really resonates. The Bon Iver record is complicated, deep, lovely and all around truly wonderful. It works as a background record, it works when delved into with hard listens. I am just pitifully grateful to have a record to love.

From the opening notes of “Perth” Bon Iver melds the lovely R & B aspects that have been kicking around Indie the last few years (i.e. Bitte Orca) with patient textures. As the art suggests this is an album rich in the pastoral. Soothing in its reverence for simple things (a quiet bango stroke, a subtle harmony), and yet those simple things remain long after the album is over. Mike highlighted a number of tracks that he particularly enjoys, however I find it is not songs but moments I find myself humming later, not tied to any song, but a lovely little moment that lives on its own (for instance the “woahohoh”, that happens a minute or so into “Towers”)

As I discovered over the weekend in the distant recesses of the country in Ontario, this album’s large spaces feel removed but not empty (much like the countryside I was in).

In some ways I feel like the death of emusic is responsible for me not stumbling upon this record sooner. Previously I would have just used my credits on it without concern for whether or not I was going to like it or not (I hadn’t been a huge fan of Bon Iver’s previous work). But I’m glad I found it now.

A summer record that will work in the winter, an emotional record that I can leave put on for calm evenings with friends. Bon Iver EASILY captures the top spot for me so far this year.