Review of Bon Iver's new self titled album

Up until a few months ago, the only song I had ever heard by the folk/indie Bon Iver was 'Skinny Love', to be honest I didn't like it that much, and I hadn't bothered to listen to any of their other songs. I wish I had, because they are sooo goood! I haven't stopped listening to their new album since it was released on 21st June, and right now I am going to go through it track by track and give you my thoughts. 

First, my favourite parts of the album and band in general.  I love the haunty vocals in each song and the different harmonies just give me shivers! I never thought drums could sound this beautiful, whoever the main drummer was in recording this album, just wow. Now onto my track by track analysis.

1) Perth
So the all important opening track really sets up the tone and feel of the whole album and has a really awesome catchy guitar riff (which I am determined to learn). When I first heard this song I knew straight away this was gonna be a good album. Favourite part is when the drums build up and the beautiful vocals and guitar sort of, play the same parts. If you don't understand what I'm saying,  this is about 1:27 in. This was a fantastic way to start the album


2) Minnesota, WI
This features alot of different layered and delayed electric guitar parts, I also liked how they even used slide and wind instruments. It's got quite a big and driving vIerse, but everything cools down for the chorus, which is a nice difference to the normal build up to choruses.

3) Holocene
Oh my god, my favourite song on the album by far. It is so breathtakingly beautiful. It has many many layers of clean acoustic guitar and I love the opening. It also has other stringed instruments later on in the song. I really do like this song, I always recommend this song to friends as a first song Bon Iver song to listen to. 

4) Towers
The interesting thing about this song is you start off listening to it thinking you've got the whole song sussed out. But then about halfway, the song completely changes and all these different slide guitars come in, it turns much more upbeat and and I like it when that happens. The good thing is it doesn't stray too far from the original idea of the song and feels very natural. It's a lovely sing along song though, this is one of my favourites.

5) Michicant
I do like this song alot. It is a sing along track like Towers, but the thing I love about it is how every so often there are these little sounds (sometimes they only appear once or twice) and it just makes listening so much more interesting and enjoyable rather than it being repetitive. There are many more ideas, and clearly alot more thought and planning into this song. An example of this is near the beginning how there is just a bell ringing, and it leaves you thinking where did that come from! I so was eager to listen on for more. Great song, great song. 

6) Hinnom, TX
This song is alright. I appreciate the chorus and the different vocal melodies and echoes that go on. Apart from that, it's just a pretty decent instrumental containing many layers and flowing well. It's one of those trippy songs that you can get lost in. 

7) Wash.
This track starts of with a nice piano bit, but really the stand out feature of it is towards the end when you've got lots of string sections and almost orchestral parts coming in and it really paints the soundscape and enhances the feel and the message of the lyrics. I do like the beginning when the strings quickly come in and then fade, it's quite suprising but good. 

8) Calgary
This was the first single that was released from the album, and a good choice too. It's got alot of awesome vocal effects, then band comes in and then again it gets stripped back to the original vocal.

9) Lisbon, OH
This is the shortest track on the album, only about a minute and a half long. I think this song was meant to a break from all the other songs before, and also an introduction into the last track. The synth beeps and organs and other instruments make it really interesting to listen to, like many of the other songs on this album. 

10) Beth/Rest
This song features alot of different vocal effects and like the other tracks, really awesome synth. A nice part of this song is the guitar solo about 3 quarters through the song. There are alot of electric piano parts jumping in and around the vocal parts and I love the effect that has on the song as a whole. 


So my final thoughts. There really is something special and unique about the way Justin Vernon approachs song writing, he's incredibly talented and such an underrated musician. There are not alot of albums that have got such a great atmospheric vibe like this one and I definately recommend everyone to listen to this.


Thanks for reading my review on Bon Iver's "Bon Iver".