BON IVER-FOREVER EMMA, FOREVER AGO.

dereksmusicblog ♦ July 13, 2011 ♦ Leave a comment

BON IVER-FOREVER EMMA, FOREVER AGO.

As someone who has spent more years than I care to remember immersed in music and, as a result, reading the music press, I’ve lost count of the artists how have been hailed as the savior of music. Generally, these artists are hailed as the next Beatles, Rolling Stone or Led Zepellin. Usually, they sink without trace, after at best, one reasonable album. Sometimes, they hang around and produce a brace or trio of mediocre albums. Sometimes, though the same journalists spot some highly talented artists. With the group this article is about, it would be almost impossible to  fail to spot their talent. Anyone who heard Bon Iver’s album For Emma, Forever Ago, must have realized straight away, that they were listening to a great album. In this article, I’ll tell you about Bon Iver, and what makes For Emma, Forever Ago, such a great album.

Before forming Bon Iver in 2007, life hadn’t been kind to Justin Vernon. He’s an America singer songwriter, who previously, had been in he band DeYarmond Edison. That band had split up, and at the same time, Vernon’s relationship broke up and he contracted mononucleosis. To recuperate, he decided to leave Raleigh, North Carolina, and head to his father’s cabin in a remote part of Wisconsin. It was whilst there, that the idea for Bon Iver came to mind whilst watching a DVD of Northern Exposure. Bon hiver is French for good winter, and in the program, the people in Northern Exposure, wished each other bon hiver, when the first snowfall of the year arrived. After deciding hiver reminded him to much of liver, he decided not to use it. 

When he arrived at the cabin, he had no plans to either write or record any music. However, to recover from what had been a tough year, he started writing and recording some songs with some basic recording equipment he had with him. He played all the instruments, and overdubbed them later. Vernon wrote a melody first, then worked on the lyrics. When the album was finished, disaster nearly struck, the album nearly, was never released. The intention was to send it out as a demo to record labels. After getting good feedback from people, Vernon decided to release the songs as they were. He first sold them at gigs he played, the signed to indie label Jagjaguwar which released the album properly. On its release in February 2008, the album received great reviews in with many music papers. Since then, the album has achieved gold status in the UK, where it was released by indie label 4AD. It also achieved gold status in Australia and Denmark.

When Vernon plays live, he’s joined by other musicians. They include Sean Carey on drums, piano and vocals, Michael Noyce on guitar and vocals and Matthew McCaughan on bass, drums and vocals. Since the success of For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver have toured extensively and played at Glastonbury and Lollapalooza in 2009. 

Recently, Bon Iver have released their second album entitled Bon Iver. This eponymous album, was released on June 21, 2011, and features a very different sound to For Emma, Forever Ago. Like their debut album, Bon Iver was critically acclaimed and is selling well. It was recorded in Fall Creek, Wisconsin in an old vet’s clinic, which Vernon and his brother bought and turned into a recording complex. Vernon says he loves the newly built April Bas Studios, which is situated not far from where he was brought up. Hopefully, many more wonderful albums will be recorded at those studios.

Having told you about Bon Iver’s background, I’ll now tell you why For Emma, Forever Ago is such a fine album. The first track on the album is Flume, and it begins with Vernon singing softly and strumming an acoustic guitar gently. Immediately, your struck by the tenderness in Vernon’s voice. It’s a voice that is heartfelt, especially when he sings Flume’s lyrics. They too have a tenderness, and sound almost personal to him. I like the almost lo-fi style of the arrangement, it means you’re concentrating solely on Vernon’s vocal and guitar playing. Although, other instruments play subtly behind Vernon, they never overpower the vocal. This is beautiful moving song, one that Vernon sings beautifully.

When Lump Sum begin’s, it’s almost as if a choir of angels are harmonizing, their voices bather in ethereal beauty. Once they depart, Vernon sings and plays guitar. The tempo is slightly quicker, his voice a touch higher. Here, he sounds happier, his voice slightly brighter. During the song, the angels reappear, accompanying Vernon, a perfect foil for his voice. Like the opening track, the lyrics are complex, and have an otherworldly feel when you read them. However, when Vernon sings them, they make perfect sense. It’s like he’s interpreting them for the listener. If anything, this track is better than the opening track. Maybe it’s because it’s been touched by angels.

As Skinny Love begins, the guitar playing seems slightly distant, but gradually it moves nearer. When Vernon sings, his voice is right at the front of the mix. His voice sounds confident, but sometimes he seems almost angry, a bitterness present. Maybe it’s because it’s a song about a relationship that is in trouble, maybe singing the song is cathartic for him. It allows him to vent his frustration, get rid of the anger and bitterness that’s built up within him. Other times when he whoops and claps his hands he seems almost joyous. What we have here, is another great track from Vernon, a man proving to be a bit of an enigma.

The Wolves (Acts I and II) starts hesitantly, as if Vernon is trying to figure out the best way to start the song. After that hesitant start, the song slowly starts to reveal itself. It’s what I’d call a slow burner. Again, the song sounds personal to Vernon, maybe that’s why it takes so long to open up. Maybe that’s why sometimes, he sounds hesitant, as if scared to reveal too much of himself, in a song that’s about love. About halfway through the song, the sound grows, some lovely harmonies appear, more instruments and sound effects join in with the harmonies, which are almost like an instrument, to produce a glorious sound. Overall, the effect is moving, the song stunning, and as it ends, you feel privileged to have heard such a lovely piece of music.

At the start of Blindsided you’ll hear sound effects that you feel should belong at the start of a sci-fi movie. Don’t worry, Vernon is only teasing you, and what follows, is another beautiful, almost spiritual piece of music. Again, the sound is understated, just Vernon and his trusted guitar. His voice is tender, as he sings the lyrics. The lyrics have a mysterious feel, but to me, they’re about trust, trusting someone to be there for you when you need them. The thing is, they let you down, hence you feel as if you’ve been “blindsided.” They’re touching lyrics, that make you think that previously, Vernon has been badly let down by someone.

Again, some gorgeous harmonies open Creature Fear, their beauty shining through. When they exit stage left, Vernon takes over, and when he sings he veers between a moment of hesitation, to total cohesion. The lyrics are about someone he once knew, someone he admired, maybe even loved. It’s an intriguing story, one that ends badly, with Vernon rejected. Just as the song is building, and you’re caught up in it, suddenly, it ends. This leaves the listener disappointed, and the song has an unfinished feel about it. For me, it’s very much a case of what might have been. It could have been a really good song, rather than one that sounds unfinished, almost like work in progress. 

Unlike most of the songs on the album, the sound on Team is much bigger, louder and fuller. Guitar, bass and drums play, the introduction is long and dramatic. I find myself thinking that I hope all this build up is worth it. Having said that, it’s a decent musical jam. However, that’s all it is. A jam, with Vernon whistling on it. Like the last track Creature Fear, it leaves me feeling disappointed. Again, it’s more like work in progress, as if someone mistakenly pressed record as the band were jamming. To me, it doesn’t belong on the album, as it’s so different to the other tracks.

Hopefully, after two rather disappointing tracks, For Emma will be a much better song. From the start, you realize that Vernon is back in the groove, as a slide guitar, trumpet and guitar combine at the start. When Vernon sings, normal service is restored, his voice better than ever, and joined by some close, tight harmonies. The sound arrangement, is delightfully retro, the lyrics tender and heartfelt. It’s another relationship song, about loving someone who, you know is deceiving you. This song has long been my favorite from the album, and once you’ve heard it, you’ll realize why.

For Emma, Forever Ago closes with Re:Stacks, a song that begins a familiar way. Vernon and guitar play, his playing on this track subtle and gentle. He leaves space within the lyrics, space he fills with guitar. His voice is higher, as he sings the lyrics. The lyrics are very different from the other songs on the album. They’re much fuller, with a more obvious narrative. Vernon sings about someone who previously, filled a void in their life with alcohol and gambling, turning over a new leaf when they fall in love. It’s a great song to close the album, one that demonstrates Vernon’s ability as a songwriter.

For Emma, Forever Ago is one of the best debut albums I’ve heard in recent years. Of the nine songs on the album, seven are of the highest standard. One, Creature Fear is also a beautiful song but has an unfinished quality at the end. That is a minor quibble, because the rest of the songs on the album are beautiful. Vernon sings them beautifully, his guitar playing gentle, sometimes understated. The arrangements and production are perfect, they’re subtle, never cluttered, allowing the songs to shine. Since the album was released, I’ve been smitten by it, have been enthralled by it’s understated beauty. If you have yet to discover Bon Iver, I can thoroughly recommend For Emma, Forever Ago to you. It’s one of the best albums released in the last ten years, and an album that you, will quickly fall in love with. Standout Tracks: Lump Sum, The Wolves (Acts I and II), For Emma and Re:Stacks.

BON IVER-FOREVER EMMA, FOREVER AGO.