Bon Iver - Bon Iver

I loved Bon Iver's debut album so much for it's stripped down isolated sound, that when I heard the follow up was a much more expansive, full band recording, I avoided listening to it for a few months. This was a mistake. A while after the album was released they were on "Later With Jools Holland". I sat there transfixed as they played the albums opening cut "Perth", with it's beautiful, open tuned elecric guitars, military style drums and gorgeous horns. Literally seconds after the song had finished I had already ordered the album from those lovely tax avoiders at Amazon. For me, Justin Vernon can do no wrong. Even the ridiculously 80's sounding Korg M1 electric piano doesn't sound out of place, where in lesser hands it could ruin an entire recording (In fact, it was a beautiful thing to wake up in a tent to the sound of the Korg M1 being soundchecked at this years Latitude festival).

Where the previous album had been almost all acoustic guitar and vocals with very little other instrumentation, "Bon Iver" is a lush sounding record with almost any instrument Vernon and his 11 other bandmates could get their hands on. Yet despite the expansive sound, The album still sounds like a continuation from where the previous record left off. There were little hints of electronic textures here and there and Justin Vernon's multitracked vocals tie it all together excellently.The whole album is damn near perfect. definitely one of my most listened to in the past year, and they're amazing live too. Here's the "Later With Jools Holland" appearance, with 3 tracks, "Towers", "Perth" and "Calgary"...