Customer Reviews

Blood Bank

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bon Iver (essentially Justin Vernon and a couple of bandmates) burst out of the frozen Wisconsin north woods in 2007 with "For Emma, Forever Ago" - a record of quiet, contemplative and deeply felt songs triggered by the ending of several relationships, both personal and professional. Vernon took advantage of his months of isolation to craft a set of emotionally direct songs that sometimes employed rather oblique lyrics, and his not-for-everybody falsetto singing was said to be either enchanting (most critics) or off-putting (many music fans).

But as word spread about "Emma" and Bon Iver played more and more live shows (even turning up on late night TV on rare ocassions) his fan base grew, and an increasing number of online reviews labeled "Emma" an emotional masterpiece.

If you're new to this artist, you should probably begin with "Emma" to get a sense of his unique style. Fans of that record, however, will find much to love on "Blood Bank," which contains several tunes written and/or recorded around the same time period. The title cut is especially strong, with sharp lyrics and strong guitar work.

The first three songs could easily be outtakes from "Emma," and all are easily the equal of anything found on that record. It's the final cut, "Woods" that is the wild card, and the one that is likely to sharply divide dedicated Bon Iver fans. Making use of the Auto-tune technology currently in vogue among hip-hop artists like L'il Wayne and Kanye West, Vernon electronically distorts his vocals to the point where he sounds almost machine-like. Repeating four simple phrases over and over ("I'm up in the woods/I'm down on my mind/I'm building a still/To slow down the time") and gradually adding high-pitched howls, the song builds to a kind of haunting grandeur, and the howls begin to sound like wolves far off in the distance on a frozen north woods evening. Some will hate it, but personally I think it's a stunner, and it hints to me that Bon Iver is an artist who is brave enough and talented enough to challenge himself and his fans. That's an encouraging sign for the future.

This EP is a good sign for people who liked Bon Iver's first album. The tunes are soulful and share similar aspects to the LP: the falsetto voice layered multiple times, the trance-like repetition that builds to an emotional release, the cryptic lyrics.

There is also experimentation. "Blood Bank," is recognizably written for a full band. "Beach Baby," uses a slide guitar solo. "Babys" uses piano, one note repeated for tension. He uses a similar technique with his voice and guitar, but the piano adds a new tone. But these are small experiments.

The big surprise comes with "Woods," when he uses vocoder. This song needed to go last, because I don't know what you could put after it. In the beginning the vocals are high in the mix, but as the song progresses the same repeated lines are sung in different ways and recorded differently, some with harmony, some distantly reverbed; it all creates a huge emotional space. My favorite part is when he strains the heights of his register. Amazing.

Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago was one of 2008's biggest critical darlings. On that album, Mr. Vernon kept things at their absolute most basic. He recorded in solitude on what he described as "a very light set-up" with the intent of distributing the recordings as demos to be shopped to the labels. In the end, he created a timeless piece that was driven by simplicity and emotion.

Often a fear for both artists and labels is the sophomore effort. Will the fans be as receptive? Does the artist have another glittering prize in their pocket? It's called the sophmore slump for a reason. Fortunately, Bon Iver's Blood Bath EP picks up where For Emma, Forever Ago left off and takes small paddles into a bigger sea.

Track by Track:

"Blood Bank" (4:45)
It sounds like a track that could have easily been on For Emma but with a bit more polish. Don't fear, is still simple and beautiful. It's just slightly cleaner in sound. Vernon also drags out his "Iiiiiiiiiiiiii...know it well" to the point of striking a Coldplay pose. Don't let it deter you, Vernon has a lovely voice and the softness of these lines underscore a great song.

"Beach Baby" (2:40)
This is a short song starting with just Vernon and his acoustic guitar. He quickly paints the picture of lost love's despair and even borders on sarcasm. The first line says it all with "When you're out, tell your lucky one...to know that you'll leave." After his brief acoustic reflection, the song closes with a haunting slide guitar.

"Babys" (4:43)
"Babys" is broken into thirds. The first 1:25 of this song is repetitive piano chords that evoke mental imagery of a snowfall and sounds like a cross between a George Winston track and Animal Collective's "My Girls". At the 1:25 mark, Vernon chips in his vocals and the song fully develops for about two minutes before closing the last 1:30 with the same piano chords and Vernon chanting repetitively about making babies - "Summer comes, to multiply. To multiply!"

"Woods" (4:45)
An absolutely gorgeous song that is just layered vocals and vocoder. The lyrics are simple but one gets the impression that the meaning is deep. He's "up in the woods...slowing down the time". Maybe he's savoring his successes. Maybe he's just trying to live as fully as possible in the fleeting moments of life. Either way, this is a stunner that borders on soul music in both emotion and sound.

I read comments by another critic that Bon Iver is "one-dimensional". I took that to mean that he has one sound and in time he'll become repetitive. While I could see that as a possibility if Vernon rested on his laurels and recorded 5 consecutive For Emma's, I found the last two tracks on Blood Bank to be experimental and a sign of what's to come. And I must say, I couldn't be happier about it. Blood Bank is an EP that avoids the sophomore slump by reaching *just a bit* out into the darkness of what Bon Iver may be on future albums while using the first two tracks to appreciate the path taken to get here.

First, let me say the songs are good - the title track is very good. But I just cannot get over the pricing on this one. You can buy the full album (cd), For Emma Forever Ago for $10.99 and this FOUR (4) yes, FOUR!!! song EP costs $10.98. Am I the only one who thinks this is absurd?

I am a big Bon Iver fan, and this is a solid EP followup to the brilliant debut album. My only complaint is that the sound is really low.

This is original and fabulous. A sound designer, enraptured with the quality of the mix, gave it to me, and I have bought two since then for gifts. My husband and I listen to it most days, and do not get tired of it, because it has such richness and depth. It's an amazing experience with headphones, but is also pleasant to play during dinner or conversation, because it can be enjoyed on levels. The hooks are catchy enough to give you an instant buy into the sound, but they aren't obnoxious or overbearing over time. This is my favorite new music this year.

Excellent album. I like it almost as much as "For Emma, Forever Ago". It doesn't have the same feel on most songs, but has a few really great cuts.

Listening to "Blood Bank" is very much like reading an appendix to Bon Iver's "For Emma...Forever Ago". The wonderful melodies and meloncholy lyrics are here along with an additional rawness that was not as apparent on the debut release. These could have easily been added on to "Emma" and they do play perfectly if listened to back to back. From the playful yet moody title track to "In the Woods" which is the most haunting track to date from this gifted artist. "Blood Bank" is a wonder.

Short and sweet, just the way to make a great album. Blood Bank is a great title track and good enough to enjoy over and over again.

Fans of Bon Iver's "For Emma" album will enjoy this LP as a great follow-up to the album. The musicality & themes of "Blood Bank" are close cousins of his first, but with this small group he takes a few surprising, successful risks that hopefully, dare we say, indicate what's yet to come...? If you are new to Bon Iver as an artist, though, I do recommend starting out with "For Emma" as an introduction.