Every Tuesday new music is released and I think I do a good job of checking out quite a bit of it. In comparison with the volume that comes out each week, there's a lot of it that, well in my opinion, just isn't very good. So, when I find even a few songs that really capture my attention, that makes me happy. But, when I come across a whole cd that I can play from beginning to end, that's magic. I am truly amazed when someone can pick up a guitar or bang on the drums and actually make music. And when someone can play their instruments to the songs that they have written, and I can connect with those songs, well it just doesn't get much better than that.
All of this brings me to my subject of today: Bon Iver with For Emma, Forever Ago. This cd is astoundingly beautiful. If Jim James from My Morning Jacket and Ben Bridwell from Band of Horses could by some miracle have a baby, that baby would be Justin Vernon, the genius behind Bon Iver. Although he does have accompaniment during live shows, Justin Vernon is a one man band. He recorded this cd while secluded in his father's Wisconsin cabin during winter while nursing a broken heart. His voice is ethereal and his lyrics definitely reflect someone who's dealing with the end of a relationship. From the moment Flume, the first song on this cd, began playing I was hooked. It's opening line, "I am my mother's only one, it's enough" is so personal, yet so simple, just like the whole disc itself. Though with several listens I really started to appreciate all of the layering and different instruments that were used in creating the
very mellow, natural sound that runs all through this cd. There is not a song on this disc that I skip, but I do have a favorite, Blindside. This chorus runs laps in my head all day and it's anything but a nuisance. The title track, For Emma, is a very close second. If Wes Anderson didn't use mostly obscure, older folk music for his soundtracks I would say that this song would likely be in the running for his next movie montage. With it's horns and slide guitar it may be the most upbeat track on the whole disc. But, don't get your party hats on just yet because it still fits this placid cds bill.
When you are in the right frame of mind this disc will definitely complement your mood. It has been a perfect addition to my cabin fever during this never-ending winter. I am not sure who Emma is, but I bet that she is sorry now.