Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
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Free Music Notes for For Emma, Forever Ago
Free Music Review: Could be great if he'd enunciate, yes I'm aware that rhymes.
Hit: 3 Stars
Okay, hushed vocals, simple delicate melodies, understated instrumentation. I should love this album, but I don't. I'm just *meh* about it. Why, you might ask? What did this poor, sad man, hunkered down in a Wisconsin cabin, plunking away on rusty instruments - ever do to you?
Nothing of consequence.
However, upon first and repeated listenings of "For Emma, forever ago" I was extremely frustrated at Bon Iver's inability to properly enunciate his lyrics. They sounded like a garbled mess, with me and several friends only able to make out about every other sentence. Anyone can "look up" the lyrics and say they understand them, I challenge a first time listener to understand anything at all he is saying. This is frustrating because of the fact this could be a great album. This album is rife with emotion, that comes through in his vocalization and the music alone - his lyrics would complete this package. Unless he's going for a Cocteau Twins = nonsensical vocalization thing, which I highly doubt.
Before you buy this album buy, Iron and Wine's - Our Endless Numbered Days, or the Woman King EP, or The Creek Drank the Cradle for a hushed wispery vocal delight - if you're into that sort of thing. Which you obviously are if your checking this album out.
Don't get me wrong, the album is not hideous by any means - but instead lacks polish. A good producer would have made him re-record the unintelligble portions of his vocal tracks. Don't be roped in by the "emperor's new clothes."
Free Music Review: Two Styles - One is Great
Hit: 3 Stars
This album has two absolutely amazing songs on it. I'm talking about "Blindsided" and "Re: Stacks" . . . these are mesmerizing and make the whole album worth the purchase price. The later sounds a bit like Sun Kil Moon in its slowly unfolding pathos; the former is delicious in how it takes its time and creates an amazing mood.
Unfortunately, the rest of the songs on the album really have a different style and spirit to them and some of them come off as a bit too avant garde. "Sparse" is good, but there has to be an evocative theme in order to justify so much minimalism and repetitiveness. I found myself straining to find a way to let the singer's falsetto style carry an entire album. The singer admittedly creates a novel vibe, and at time the arrangements and harmonies evoke a more subtle version of Joseph Arthur. After sustained listening, however, I haven't been able to get into any of these other songs. I would definitely be interested to see the live version of this music; I'm open to the chance that the energy of the live performance could lend new possibilities to the tracks that didn't grab me here.
I'm glad I checked out this album and there's definitely something interesting going on here. As a whole, you may be able to appreciate it more than I did.
Free Music Review: a lot of money for lo-fi
Hit: 3 Stars
I have to agree with the reviewer who said Bon Iver was great on Letterman...I'm glad I listened to the recorded tracks before buying the album though, the rhythm was much more solid live. Contrary to the people who say you should listen to this album over and over to "get" it, I think it's so labored and the rhythm so off that it only annoys me the more I listen. I'm glad he wrote these great songs, they're beautiful haunting and searching works. But like people said, they can come across as lackluster and dull on this album, and frankly the poor recording quality is NOT worth paying full price for! It's one thing to pay for a self-produced album and support an artist. It's quite another when that artist gets a record contract and then asks people to pay a record company for self-produced tracks when the company can certainly afford to produce a better quality product but won't. Too bad he didn't get some guidance on the quality before he went ahead and re-issued the CD, because he's not duping me into paying the over-fed music industry for this!Free Music Review: So Much BETTER live!
Hit: 3 Stars
I was first introduced to bon ivers live recordings such as; skinny love and flume. I was caught off guard to begin with considering how raw and incomparable his voice was to any other. I instantly had to check out the album. Also hearing he recorded it, hidden away in a log cabin got me that much more excited. "Sound interesting.. I assume he will still have that rawness." However I was wrong and very dissapointed as it is too commercial friendly for me. This work just became tedious.
Aside from that he really is a talented artist that I would love to see perform. Hes wonderful to watch and it is clear to see he is dominate.
Free Music Review: Interesting, but frustrating
Hit: 3 Stars
There are a couple of interesting songs here, such as Blindsided and Creature Fear/Team but even those songs are complicated by the multiple track falsetto vocals that make the lyrics difficult to hear--and what I can hear is very oblique and abstract. I suppose for some (the critics) this may be the attraction of Bon Iver. And if that sounds interesting to you then definitely check this out. But for most listeners, even those who like indie and folk, I think this is going to have very limited appeal.