The album opens with a track as lush as the cover art and it is clear early that since 2007’s For Emma…, Bon Iver’s music has emerged from the cold winter and is now flourishing. Perth begins with an unassuming electric guitar riff that slowly builds then disappears into a rich, wet background of synth, horns, saxophone, and drums only to resurface stronger and more robust. This will be the hallmark of the record, melodies that surge in and out of a living environment, a jungle of music that grows and evolves as the minutes pass. This is perhaps most evident in Minnesota, WI. Vernon begins by crooning in an uncharacteristic baritone against a shadowy drumbeat which gives way to a backbone of banjo picking that carries the rest of the song. Slipping back into his customary naked falsetto, the vocals then finally melt away over a slide guitar.
Despite the rush of so many new elements, Vernon can still take it back to bare, haunting emotion as he does on Holocene. In a moment of unbearable honesty he states and at once I knew… I was not magnificent followed by the freeing truth that then I could see for miles and miles and miles over a swirling drum and sax. This record is cautiously vibrant and delicately diverse from the roadtrip jam feel of Towers to the dreamy electro of Hinnom, TX. However, like always, Vernon makes everything fit. Nothing seems out of place, and even when you finally make it to Beth/Rest, it makes sense. The closer on Bon Iver has been the subject of much discussion on the blogosphere, as the Hornsby-infused track has proven to be very polarizing. Taken as a single, it seemed it was either an ironically humorous nod to '70s adult contemporary "Yacht Rock," or a too-real-to-be-a-parody head scratcher that was difficult to appreciate. However digested with the rest of the album, it is a welcome finale that flows nicely in the direction Vernon had been headed all along. The seeds sown in Perth are present here, fully grown and verdant.
Bon Iver has undoubtedly matured since the simple beauty of For Emma…. The latest offering shows an artist becoming comfortable in his own skin even as it stretches and changes with time. It is an adventurous record to be sure, but it is a welcome journey and one each listener will have to appreciate on their own terms. There is so much to enjoy on this dense album, so let it unfold and express itself naturally.
