Album of the Week: Bon Iver's "i,i"
By Lewis Ulm
It is difficult to review music when its enjoyment is derived from a deep nostalgic attachment to its every note. How can you prescribe a rating or words to such an emotional and individual experience? Bon Iver is one of these examples, for with each new release of an album, Justin Vernon still manages to create a soundtrack for the most personal and vivid memories.
So when I received a notification (whilst screaming the lyrics to Skinny Love alone in my car) that the band was releasing a new album, I was strangely anxious as to which feelings they could elicit once more. Would it be the lonely coldness that is evoked from For Emma, Forever Ago? The peaceful bliss and warmth of their 2011 album Bon Iver? Or possibly the strangely epic and energetic despair of 22, A Million? Well, somehow, i,i manages to do a bit of everything, and may just be Vernon’s best work yet.
Over 13 songs and 40 minutes, i,i is the band’s longest album yet and reflects this in its scope of ideas and in its arrangements. Right from the scrawling and rattled opening Yi, it becomes startlingly clear that this is not a normal Bon Iver album. The 30 second track features distorted sampling, chopped sounds and a nice little “You recording Trevor?” but rolls perfectly into the light and soulful iMi. Having experimented with electronic sounds and instrumentation across their prior record, they are honed precisely and with more intention here, being used either as a small but essential addition to songs like Faith, or to be the loud and startling core of songs like Jelmore.
But even with this continued experimentation with new sounds and production, Vernon continues to surprise with clear throwbacks to his earlier records. Marion is a heartfelt break-up song that uses its minimalism to describe a great pain, one of loss and unrequited love - much akin to the rampant theme of For Emma, Forever Ago. Hey, Ma, the lead single from the album, is also somewhat of an outlier, featuring angelic harmonies that evoke painful feelings of sorrow, despite how warm the track can seem, and would arguably fit perfectly on Bon Iver.
However, despite its obvious similarities to past sounds and ideas, i,i is distinctly different. Standouts include Naeem, which builds to an emotional climax that easily sits with the best songs Vernon has written. Its description of venturing through a figurative landscape of pain contrasts incredibly well with the hopeful tone, juxtaposing the cold world with a purposeful mission to heal.
And it is this duality that runs strongly through the album as a whole. Apparently the “autumn” album of their discography, i,i seems to warn of a cold season coming, one of unexpected pain and grief, as to what For Emma, Forever Ago represented. But surprisingly, with every warning of the future, with every sad feeling that may be drawn out, it follows immediately with optimism. This may be no more true than in the last two tracks, Sh’Diah and RABi, which goes from a sad, trance-inducing dream to a hopeful dance in the span of a few minutes, closing the album with a message of optimism against the contrasting hints of grief littered throughout.
But what are we to be optimistic about? While each song tackles a different issue, ranging from heartbreak to the US Government and the environment (thankfully not cringe-inducing, I’m looking at you Lil Dicky), Vernon remains hopeful despite the impending doom that seems to crowd our lives and minds. As RABi plays its final strums of its playful guitar, we are reminded that “It’s all fine and we’re all fine anyway.”
And maybe he’s right. If For Emma, Forever Ago, was a cold and lonely cabin in the Wisconsin woodlands, i,i is that same cabin, but the fire is on and you’re lying in front of it with someone else. Its beauty comes from its hopeful melodies and contrasting lyrics, but gives way to an overwhelming nostalgia and romantic feeling of optimism. While enjoying every moment in front of that fire, despite the winter that is fast approaching, you can have strength in a hopeful conviction that this cold will be warmer than the last.