Bon Iver – For Emma, Ages Ago

• 15th May 2008

Whilst spending 3 months in mountaintop solitude, chopping wood for heat and hunting for food, Bon Iver had this to show, his LP ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’. With only instruments plentiful to fill his 2 arms, he played and he sang and weaved his 9 charms, spilling the stillness out into a mic’, he sang from his heart late into the night.

With silhouette landscapes, sunsets far away, far from the city life that once stole each day, he lured out his anguish, extracted his joy and the man found the means to discover the boy. Resounding Magic Numbers, Phosphorescent and yes, Reindeer Section in places and yes, you’ve guessed.

The album’s as awesome as any hot shower, so soothing and packing such healing power, ethereal and distant as it plays in your home. A soulful vocal seeps from his mouth, emotive and earnest enough to allow, your nerves to detangle ‘round your now straightened spine, few things of such beauty can money buy.

The title track epitomises the sum of the whole, albeit with Concretes worthy trumpet and trombone, could it be Peter Gabriel whom it dawns on me now, is summoned in spirit and channelled somehow, through the singing of songs so sweet and serene, maybe I’m wrong, no, that just couldn’t be.

On 4AD, surely not, they’re so loud, maybe the curtain’s closing on that great mental crowd, for this is majestic I’m sure you’ll think, to find out more you should follow this [link]