song of the day: march 3/2011

Bon Iver - Re: Stacks

Album: For Emma, Forever Ago [2008]

justin vernon began recording under the name bon iver following the breakup of deyarmond edison, an indie folk group similar in tone and manner to iron & wine and bonnie "prince" billy. vernon moved back to wisconsin the winter following deyarmond's demise, setting up camp in a remote cabin in the north woods for three months. it was a hugely generative period for him; writing and recording songs in 12-hour bursts, he found himself with a haunting nine-song debut album by spring. he dubbed the project bon iver (an intentional misspelling of the french for "good winter"), and the disc, "for emma, forever ago", was released in early 2008. as the year progressed, the album became quite popular with both the buying public and critics, eventually landing on a number of "best of 2008" year-end lists (including my own!). a few parts (horns, drums, and backing vocals) were added in a north carolina studio, but for the majority of the time it's just vernon, his utterly disarming voice, and his enchanting songs. the voice is the first thing you notice. his falsetto soars like a hawk and when he adds harmonies and massed backing vocals, it can truly be breathtaking. he croons, swoops, and cajoles his way through every erratic and enchanting melody like marvin gaye after a couple trips to the backyard still. framing his voice are suitably subdued arrangements built around acoustic guitars and filled out with subtle electric guitars, the occasional light drums, and slide guitar. vernon has a steady grasp of dynamics too; the ebb and flow of "creature fear" is powerfully dramatic and when the chorus hits it's hard not to be swept away by the flood of tattered emotion. almost every song has a moment where the emotion peaks and hearts begin to weaken and bend: the beauty of that voice is what pulls you through every time. the album captures the sound of broken and quiet isolation, wraps it in a beautiful package, and delivers it to your door with a beating, bruised heart. it's quite an achievement for a debut and the promise of greatness in the future is high. "re: stacks" is my personal favourite, hence it's inclusion on the lazy river road. it's probably one of the best songs i'll ever fall in love with.

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