22, A Million

About

Bon Iver’s magnetic core was always Justin Vernon’s voice, an instrument both singular and versatile. Like the fire flickering inside the hearth of some rustic cabin, Vernon’s keening falsetto was the centerpiece of the largely acoustic <i>For Emma, Forever Ago</i>. He stretched his voice on the foundational EP <i>Blood Bank</i>, his husky baritone anchoring the title track, while his curiosity led him to process it to celestial effect on “Wood.” Even on the ornate <i>Bon Iver</i>, where horns cascaded and dual drum kits sometimes evoked black metal, it was Vernon’s voice that gave emotional ballast to oft-inscrutable lyric. His generational finesse and aplomb as a singer became most obvious on <i>22, A Million</i>, a visionary statement from— and extraordinary leap for—someone who had recently been considered a mere guy with a guitar. Released in 2016, the album features a sprawling lineup, with a few dozen people contributing bits and piece. But Vernon and a team of audacious producers—BJ Burton, Chris Messina, and Ryan Olson—move that big band inside a machine, cutting and warping the sounds into blocks they rebuild into surrealistic pillows for Vernon’s emotive acrobatic. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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