Not to show any disrespect to my fellow blogger, Mr. HeizA, but having found Bon Iver’s second full-length album to be one of the best of the year, I felt a counter-opinion was needed.
It is true that Mr. Vernon’s new album is far more layered and lush with production, but I don’t see this as a negative. While the sparse For Emma, Forever Ago, was a masterpiece, there is no way Bon Iver could follow that up continuing with a minimal style without sounding like he was repeating himself.
The extra layers allow Vernon’s sound to expand from folk to the ethereal stylings of Sigur Ros on some songs (the album highlight “Holocene”) to the pop rock of “Calgary”.
And as far as the controversial “Beth/Rest”, which Vernon has defended in interviews for it’s Bruce Hornsby-ness, I love the track and think it ends well (but Mr. Heiza, I suggest you seek out the solo piano version he did of it and see if your opinion changes at all).
9/10 – boo ya!
