From Justin, Forever More.
Once upon a time in Hollywood, legendary actor of our generation Brad Pitt was dumped...wait! What? And what did he do to get over this divorce from actress Angelina Jolie? Well he did what we all do...no not sculpting, I don't have the Swayze hands in 'Ghost' for that Demi. He threw on a classic break-up record. The groundbreaking 'Skinny Love' classic from Bon Iver, 'For Emma, Forever Ago' to be playlist matching exact. And upon hearing the 'Fight Club' and 'Se7en' thesp did this like a 'Tree Of Life' what was Wisconsin's own Justin Vernon's response from his log cabin the middle of a wilderness nowhere? "Cool!" Cool. Once upon a time in Paris Justin kidnapped (well not exactly...don't alert the authorities) a young woman for the French L'Blogtheque take away show. A classic Parisian syndicate that make inventive live show music video alternatives for stars like Maggie Rogers, Lianne La Havas and so much more of our best and brightest. Bon Iver being the most "bon" of all. From walking around the romantic streets singing 'For Emma', to performing in the middle of an abandoned building (just think of the acoustics) to a woman who looked like she was wearing a bowl on her head as a blindfold. But this time with a whole choir behind him singing the haunting 'Heavenly Father" off a hym sheet to someone I sure no longer felt kidnapped when she realized who it was (the anti-celebrity always introduces himself so politely, "I'm Justin" like they didn't already know), the notes he hit taking him higher sounded like Justin was possessed by the Holy Ghost...again those acoustics. Once upon a time in the Beatle town of Liverpool this writer even lost his virginity to some Bon Iver (the last song (yeah that's how long it took me) 'Beth/Rest' off the self titled second sophomore album from Bon Iver if you want the gory details), so what more do you need to know?
Lost in the 'Woods' of his 'Blood Bank' EP like the best 'Atlanta' episode from Brian Tyree Henry, Bon Iver or Justin Vernon blew up out of nowhere. So much so he was even sampled and then started working with Kanye West for 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', bringing the best out of Mr. West. But these days due to some Trumped up affiliations, Justin just can't kick it with Yeezus anymore even though he's still likes him as a friend (we feel you). But we'd love to hear them make great music again one day. Vernon has even made knockout music for 'Creed' soundtracks too. But seconds out nothing quite hits like his own personal projects. 'For Emma, Forever Ago' is more than a hipster classic for this generation from Urban Outfitters to Coachella shows. It's quite simply one of the most beautiful albums of all-time. Like it's soaring self-titled successor and 2016's last release until now '22 Million', which really pushed the musical envelope with what you can do with production and how you even name songs Prince or Maxwell "eye" amlookingatyou. And now with Justin saying he's "winding down" I, I just can't believe it with the release of Iver's 'i, i', which furthers his art gallery like discography of definitive sounds for his musical masterpieces. 'We' can't even with his outstanding opener that soundtrack sounds like something out of a Western folklore for the folk hero. "The ordinary something neither of us holds/No folding gold for protecting from the lords/Who's that really we leave out in the cold?/But they're depending, so you just keep giving pause," he sings on an album analysing his anxiety as he stresses through some stanzas. Healing the harm in only a way music can.
'Hey Ma' isn't a Cam'ron cover for the man who has worked with more rappers than Dame Dash. Instead it's the inspired standout single from Iver following the beautiful 'Holyfields'. This atmospheric cut breathes new life into his overcoming struggles as Justin sings, "I waited outside/I was tokin' on dope/I hoped it all won't go in a minute/With the past that you know/I wanted all that mind, sugar/I want it all mine/I had a heavy mind, sugar/It took it, it was right." If you can't feel how he is then it's time to get your mind in this music. Because with a mainstream starving for more art in the artist (save breakthrough releases from the likes of Maggie Rogers, King Princess and the 'Summer Girl' sax of Haim) this is the closest down to earth hero of headphones this side of the 'Western Stars' of Springsteen. The opening piano of 'U (Man Like)' sounds like something from the closing credits of a Japanese anime (don't act like that's a bad thing), whilst the song itself opens up to so much more. But the real heavy hitter on 'i, i' is 'Naeem'. Nothing is more epic or right there with his 're:Stacks', 'Creature Fear', '22 Million' by the numbers, or Perth, Minnesota, Hinnom, Calgary, Lisbon place of interest best for the Wisconsin native than this. "All along me I can hear you/I'd occupy that/Can't sit back long while you're forming that/Oh, my mind, our kids got bigger/But I'm climbing down the bastion now/You take me out to pasture now" he sings for the heavens before the distorted, dynamic 'Jelmore', beautiful 'Faith' you will all believe in, moving acoustic ode to 'Marion' (sorry Emma), stunning 'Salem' (simply sensational) and the strings of 'Sh'Diah' are your lot. All making and packing this set up as a classic right before the complete closer 'RABi' stuns the senses even more so. As Vernon teaches with lasting lyrics "Well it's all just scared of dying/But isn't this a beach?/And if I know one thing at all/Is I cannot just be a peach/Oh, you come in all woke now/So, please enjoy the feast/We are weightless like a wayless beast/So what is it we don't teach?" Bon Iver albums like something you love so beautiful are always here for a moment as we absorb all it surrounds us with, before it leaves us just as quickly with just a beautiful memory of just how good it can be. And if this really is it for Justin Vernon can we have just one more moment to savour? Because nothing sounds like this. And nothing will come quite as close. I, I believe that this is it. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'We', 'Hey Ma', 'Naeem'.
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