Music Bon Iver

I agree too. Didn't like his previous album and there's not much on this I like either. I really enjoy For Emma and Bon Iver, and the use of electronic effects on those albums adds a lot. But the newer stuff is very bland to me.

Getting good reviews from what I hear though, so fair play to him I suppose.
 
I do think it might be his worst album but it's still good. Just a few tracks that aren't as good.

Faith, RABi, Naeem, Hey Ma and iMi are the best songs imo.

U (Man Like), Jelmore and maybe Salem are a tier below. The rest is a bit clunky and meh. We followed by Holyfields is not fun to listen to really.
 
His first two albums are just brilliant. Couldn't get into the third, which was so disappointing, to the point that I'm not even bothered about this one.
 
SparkedIntoLife said:
I might be the only one but I think his new stuff is poor. This album and the last one have been full of songs with weak melodies, little emotional resonance, awful voice distortion and just a lot of experimental shit for the sake of it. "For Emma Forever Ago" and, to a lesser extent, the eponymous second album were so much more enjoyable. Branching out and trying new things is fine but not when you forget what brought you to the dance - moving, melodic songs that can connect with a wide range of people. This current stuff just seems overproduced, harsh on the ears and meandering without proper hooks or much that's easily singable. It's like he's just showing off rather than engaging through his music, to me at least. He's gone up his own backside like a lot of artists, though unlike them, he hasn't built up a substantial back catalogue to warrant such deviation from what made him successful.

I used to love Fleet Foxes but they too have gone a similar way.
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Absolutely love Fleet Foxes and every album they've released but I agree with your summary of Bon Iver, and the profession of his career (under this banner). Loved the first two album to bits, and I actually felt he grew and improved with the self titled second album. The last one was pretty good but saw a significant drop in both quality and connectability (?). I haven't heard much of the new album but the track I did hear was more down the lines of the overly indulgent stuff from his recent past. Will listen properly.
 
Yeah it’s not great. Some artists can’t see the bigger picture and what made them successful in the first place. Growing and experimenting with new ideas is fine but he should be able to listen to what he’s putting out objectively and know it’s mostly garbage that won’t sell well.
 
BluesJr said:
Yeah it’s not great. Some artists can’t see the bigger picture and what made them successful in the first place. Growing and experimenting with new ideas is fine but he should be able to listen to what he’s putting out objectively and know it’s mostly garbage that won’t sell well.
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Regardless of whether this album is good, I don't think it's a good idea to make music to please others, so to speak. Artists should do their thing without thinking of the audience in my opinion.
 
Decent songwriter but his best stuff tends to be featured performances in other artists' work.

 
Salt Bailly said:
Decent songwriter but his best stuff tends to be featured performances in other artists' work.

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Hard disagree. His first two albums are brilliant. I also loved the third and the 4th whilst not his best still had some great songs.
 
Salt Bailly said:
Decent songwriter but his best stuff tends to be featured performances in other artists' work.

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Oh my god what an incredibly hard disagree.

For Emma, Forever Ago is absolutely sublime songwriting and album composition within the absolute perfect setting of a bordering existential crisis.

I strongly suggest you find a quiet place with some headphones and on a cool day just take that album in.
 
BenitoSTARR said:
Oh my god what an incredibly hard disagree.

For Emma, Forever Ago is absolutely sublime songwriting and album composition within the absolute perfect setting of a bordering existential crisis.

I strongly suggest you find a quiet place with some headphones and on a cool day just take that album in.
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Existential crisis is right up my alley. I shall listen this evening.
 
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Salt Bailly said:
I've not given them a fair go tbh. Any particular favourites?
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The entirety of For Emma, Forever Ago. He wrote and recorded it all whilst alone in a cabin after illness and a bad break up and you can feel it coming out of every pore. He spent the whole time isolated, hunting his own food and reevaluating how he made music. That album just makes me want to be inside with a warm drink whilst it snows. His music makes me feel comforted.
 
Salt Bailly said:
Decent songwriter but his best stuff tends to be featured performances in other artists' work.
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Salt Bailly said:
I've not given them a fair go tbh. Any particular favourites?
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This looks a bit silly.

I think the first two records are excellent. With some interesting stuff on the other two without being nearly as consistent.
 
Maagge said:
This looks a bit silly.

I think the first two records are excellent. With some interesting stuff on the other two without being nearly as consistent.
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I’m going full blown here but I think you will really struggle to find an album that does what For Emma, Forever Ago does and from my own experience I’ve never found one better at it.

I think you have to listen to it as an album and not just pluck out the “best” songs. There aren’t loads of albums that really feel visceral in their emotions and I know it sounds artsy fartsy pretension but it’s true. I consider it a masterpiece from the 00s where emotion, heartbreak and pain forge something beautiful, meaningful and powerful.

I don’t think his other works hits this high, I think any artist would struggle to, but my god what an album to be responsible for.
 
The bon iver boys have formed a pack formation and are tearing me to shreds for my hot take.
 
His first two albums were brilliant. Second one is an all time great IMO. As someone who composes, I find that album especially the first half to be right there among the most well put together music I’ve heard.

The third was good but a significant drop off in quality and over indulgence (that’s always been his Achilles heel for me). Finally the collaborations is where I lost interest. Hope he gets back to focusing on a proper high quality album again.
 
amolbhatia50k said:
His first two albums were brilliant. Second one is an all time great IMO. As someone who composes, I find that album especially the first half to be right there among the most well put together music I’ve heard.

The third was good but a significant drop off in quality and over indulgence (that’s always been his Achilles heel for me). Finally the collaborations is where I lost interest. Hope he gets back to focusing on a proper high quality album again.
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I listened to 22 A Million yesterday after seeing the Insta post and I still think it’s quality. Lots of gorgeously put together songs on there and I think he nailed the two folk style albums already so why not change up the formula. The best artists evolve.

I think I only skip Moonwater and 45. The rest are top. Every now and then my brain just randomly goes “down along the creek”.
 
Solius said:
I listened to 22 A Million yesterday after seeing the Insta post and I still think it’s quality. Lots of gorgeously put together songs on there and I think he nailed the two folk style albums already so why not change up the formula. The best artists evolve.

I think I only skip Moonwater and 45. The rest are top. Every now and then my brain just randomly goes “down along the creek”.
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I remember hating that album on first (and only) listen cause I just wanted more folky cabin-in-the-woods stuff. I think I'll try it again today, almost 8 years later.
 


The Holocene accompanying video is just warm and gorgeous. Vernon is utterly incredible in my opinion. Yeah he’s self indulgent, but he indulges in some gorgeous art.
 
BD said:
I remember hating that album on first (and only) listen cause I just wanted more folky cabin-in-the-woods stuff. I think I'll try it again today, almost 8 years later.
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Yeah it can take a few listens to get into but easily worth it. I don't even really consider it all that experimental now tbh. Sure it has some electronic flourishes and some more grainy/glitchy beats but it's not exactly Death Grips or something.

i,i grew on me too. I will often listen to it front to back and whilst it only really has a couple skips I think it's overall very solid. Not the heights of previous work but the bar is so high that for me it still makes an album of lesser quality very good in its own right.
 
Solius said:
I listened to 22 A Million yesterday after seeing the Insta post and I still think it’s quality. Lots of gorgeously put together songs on there and I think he nailed the two folk style albums already so why not change up the formula. The best artists evolve.

I think I only skip Moonwater and 45. The rest are top. Every now and then my brain just randomly goes “down along the creek”.
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I’m probably being harsh. 22 was a good album. It’s just that some of the sonic choices didn’t click with me. 666 is such a wonderful melody though.

I should give the last album a go. I’ve just fallen off the wayside as far as trying new music as I prefer working on my own stuff.

UnrelatedPsuedo said:


The Holocene accompanying video is just warm and gorgeous. Vernon is utterly incredible in my opinion. Yeah he’s self indulgent, but he indulges in some gorgeous art.
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Incredible song - possibly his best. Perth has to be up there as far as album openers to as well.
 


I always loved this, was going through a breakup at the time and listening to this now is bittersweet for me.
 
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