And no explanation will ever validate “666 †” being dark type on a dark page.
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While trying to make the “experience just as rich and nuanced as the rest of the system,” he would utilize where phrases actually broke in vocals, “making visual decisions in response to the music of it, using parallel columns where the lyrics overlapped.” Again, it’s overcomplicated, but at least it continues the tradition of near unreadable Bon Iver lyrics (ST has that tough cursive). That said, with Carlson’s explanation, I feel a little better about taking 5 minutes to figure out the layout for “22, Over Soon” (image in gallery below). The lyric booklet is certainly overcomplicated, especially when reading without this artist-contributed background. The choice of typography on the jacket even goes back to our coffee table comparison, with the artist referencing Optima and it’s ability to be utilized in both big and small (used Magic The Gathering cards as example) print formats.
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It serves as an album museum in that manner, the comprehensive presentation of this era in the Bon Iver project. And finally, the additional images functioned as a “legend of symbols,” which were then applied to murals, ads, Instagram posts and lyric videos. According to the extended and worth-a-read dissection of Carlson’s work, via, imagery includes song symbols (seen on back art as the tracklisting), and everyday items like the beer can and football jersey, which looked to suggest “traces of the people behind the project” for example, nothing ever got done in the studio on Sunday, given the Packers were playing. It’s one of the rare times you’ll feel like you got a deal on a $24 single LP (one of the very rare times).Īnd yes, the Eric Timothy Carlson-designed art, in all its manic glory, adds to that worth. And the gatefold almost cracks open, similar to a coffee table book.
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The art’s complexity is certainly part of this, but we should first mention the feel. Whether this is as strong an “artistic” statement as the previous works, is always left to the eye of the beholder, but the greater warmth and accessibility of this outing, suggests that at least to these ears it’s an easier listen.Pulling the vinyl package of Bon Iver’s 22, A Million out of its plastic sleeve is a bit overwhelming. The debut emblematic of winter, the self-titled sophomore album the spring, 22, A Million the chaotic summer, and this recording the autumnal sounds of fall. The artist has suggested that each of the band’s four releases equates with a season in the earth’s cycle. And, again and again, the players and composers have fashioned musical moments that stand out for their aural beauty, the interplay of horns, synths and voices, as in the album’s closing tracks “Salem,” “Sh`Diah,” and “RABi.” To that end, the songs here on I,I, especially on repeated listenings seem to cling closer to more familiar pop song structures this time around. Other highlights include “Hey, Ma” with it’s strong vocal melodic hook, “Faith” uses Celtic strings and synths to create a space to consider some of life’s unresolvable mysteries, while “Naeem” drifts toward hip-hop influenced pop.īon Iver’s approach is so unique it’s challenge to describe to someone who’s never heard Vernon’s processed vocals, and mix of traditional musical instrumentation with the high-tech electronica and studio mechanics. For those who’ve followed the band’s as it has evolved and expanded musical horizons, this 4th album combines elements of all the phases that have come before, while perhaps more focused in attempt to create accessible songs.Īs with the acoustic guitar and folk song familiarity of “Marion,” “U (Man Like)” opens with traditional piano played by Bruce Hornsby, and with the prevalence of saxophones and a generous sorting of horns, suggests more of an intentional leaning toward jazz. have returned to the intimate folk roots that we first heard on For Emma, Forever Ago, although “Marion” is locked down by a lovely acoustic guitar, even if the vocals continue to sound like an overly processed choral group. Which is not to suggest that Justin Vernon & Co.
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Album Review: While “I,I”, the fourth album from Bon Iver, begins with “Yi” a 30 second smattering of electronic noise, voices, and an unsettling sense of dislocation, which would lead one to expect another album in the more experimental mode of 2016’s 22, A Million, soon something more focused and something a lot closer to traditional songs.