Steve Jobs made me review it

We all know of the indie-folk band Bon Iver; previously revealed to the public in 2007, presenting their debut release of the quaint little-cabin album “For Emma, Forever Ago.” Since then the band’s founder and creative engine Justin Vernon has come to light as a multi-talented and heartfelt singer-songwriter. The group’s acclaimed success not only catapulted their name into the thousands of acquired fans’ music libraries, but it had also managed to win over a fair amount of appraisal and support from music critics across the board. Fortunately, this frenzy assisted in gaining immense recognition for its first album, which is now hailed as one of the best albums produced in the aughts.

Recorded in the depths of rural Wisconsin whilst wrestling his own insecurities revolving around the idea of whether or not he should release his own music, Vernon’s “For Emma” brought listeners a refreshing new taste of something profound—something originally interpreted as resembling the raw, personal reflections that aim toward a pure and genuine expression of one’s self.

Interesting, however, are the sounds exhibited on Vernon’s debut record: the characteristic presence that sheds an eerie sense of solitude; a sense of a worldly individual that lingers among his softly spoken lyrics already seem like lame renditions of the artist’s past. Now, like any other maturing group working toward expanding their discography, Bon Iver shows signs of promise by introducing musical variety onto their new self-titled record dubbed “Bon Iver, Bon Iver.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone regarding their upcoming release, Vernon reveals some struggles he had encountered while attempting to sit down and write new material:

“Somewhere along the line, I forgot how to write songs,” he told Rolling Stone. “I couldn’t do it anymore with a guitar. It wasn’t happening.”

In part to this unexpected bout of memory loss, Vernon had to figure out a new way in which he could get his musical fix while attempting some cosmetic rearranging involving his band’s overall dynamic.

“I brought in a lot of people to change my voice—not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project,” he said, clarifying, “I built the record myself, but I allowed those people to come in and change the scene,” he said.

Fun fact: Rolling Stone refers to Vernon’s vocals as “gnomic.”

This new approach involved the acquisition of some new members, and, thus, instruments to the band that extended beyond the already existing members Justin Vernon, Michael Noyce, Sean Carey and Matthew McCaughan. According to Vernon’s interview, he hired well-known players such as the sax man who plays with Tom Waits and Arcade Fire, Colin Stetson, and the pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz, who recorded with Bill Frissell and Linda Rondstadt.

With a new line-up of musicians added, Bon Iver brings a new flavor to their music that makes an attempt to transcend but still leaves traces that surmount to the same old shtick, including a faster tempo, bright California harmonies, heavier drum parts, the incorporation of using more keys and the two new instruments mentioned above.

Oh, another thing I should mention before I forget, although it might be deceiving, track 10 is not the band Genesis playing. The last track on the album “Beth/Rest,” just might be a tribute to the ’80s. I don’t know why else it would be there.

Lastly, Bon Iver’s new album was initially to be released June 21, which is the official date set by the group’s label, Jagjaguwar.

Unfortunately, there seemed to have been some misunderstanding somewhere, because the new LP turned into a premature mishap by Apple’s iTunes Store, which appears to have unintentionally made an uh-oh—leaking the highly–anticipated record online a month early. ?