The location where this album was born has definitely contributed to the mood abound on this release; Bon Iver holed himself up in a log cabin for 4 months to write and record this, his debut CD. Influential nods must go to Elliott Smith and Iron & Wine, however this really describes the atmosphere (desolate / isolated) and emotion (fragility) that the production creates rather than the songs themselves (with the exception of ‘Blindsided’ which is a rehash of Smith’s ‘Biggest Lie’).
Ok, so there is the sparse instrumentation and multi layered vocals (used to great effect on ‘Lump Sum’ where it almost sounds like he wheeled in a Welsh Male Voice Choir to lend a hand) but the strong vocal performance counteracts the fragility of the music with some truly angelic peaks and moments of soulful barking (see ‘Skinny Love’). Don’t expect the whispered delivery of Smith or Beam, rather a less exuberant and indulgent Buckley or Scott Matthews. These comparisons are usually the kind that will raise the eyebrows and interest, but leave the ears disappointed, and this album is no different.
In terms of bringing something new to the table, this is an old set of condiments that have been given a bit of a clean. It’s good but not overwhelmingly convincing. ‘Creative Fear’ goes some way to being an exception; where, after being lulled by the delicate verse, the chorus smashes you in the face with its full sound. Similarly, on ‘For Emma’ the inclusion of brass gives it a more optimistic and warm sound. However, it is left to the last track to really blind side you. ‘RE:Stack’ boasts a sound so intimate you can hear his tongue hit the roof of his mouth at the end of each refrain, and some lyrics that most (well I at least) can relate to “When your moneys gone and you’re drunk as hell”. Let’s hope this is a suggestion of the direction his next collection will take.
Top Tracks: ‘Lump Sum’, ‘For Emma’, ‘ReStack’.
Released 04/03/08 on Jagjaguwar Reocrds
