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Track Listings
| 1. Flume |
| 2. Lump Sum |
| 3. Skinny Love |
| 4. The Wolves (Act I and II) |
| 5. Blindsided |
| 6. Creature Fear |
| 7. Team |
| 8. For Emma |
| 9. Re: Stacks |
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
It's hard to believe that For Emma, Forever Ago is the work of one man. But when Justin Vernon's old band split he hauled himself (and presumably plenty of instruments and recording equipment) to his dad's hunting cabin in the woods of Wisconsin for the coldest season and worked through his issues in musical form. (The name comes from the French for "good winter"--"bon hiver"). By the start of the spring thaw he had recorded the bulk of this stunning debut, originally self-issued to acclaim last year in the USA and now picked up for a British release. Vernon's voice grabs the ear from the start, switching easily into a smooth falsetto (and unusually for a white indie lad, without the slightest intent of emulating Prince). The formula is straightforward. He layers his vocal harmonies, while a gently strummed acoustic rhythm guitar just about holds the centre. All else from horns to slide guitar is mere detail. The quality is rough and ready but the effect is strangely similar though to the slick vocal confections of European women like Bjork and Camille, all mystery and distance. It's the musical equivalent of reading someone else's diary. In code. Through a dirty window. Enigmatic songs like the elegantly stumbling "Creature Fear" with its rowdy horn parts, the resolute opener "Flume" and the evanescent "Team" are just so pretty they seem to glide by without leaving a mark in the snow. Vernon is apparently a straightforward and friendly guy, but For Emma, Forever Ago genuinely sounds like something from a far off place. --Steve Jelbert
Product Description
Bon Iver's debut full-length For Emma, Forever Ago has been making major waves in critics circles based onthe strength of an early artist-pressed advance cd and a couple awe-inspiring sets at CMJ in October 2007.The New York Times called it ''irresistible'' and Pitchfork stamped its early review of the album with aRecommended tag. For those of you hiding away in a cabin of your own, it's time that you hear the story,and more importantly, the music.Bon Iver (pronounced: bohn eevair; French for ''good winter'' and spelled wrong on purpose) is a greeting, acelebration and a sentiment. It is a new statement of an artist moving on and establishing the groundworkfor a lasting career. For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut of this lineage of songs. As a whole, the record isentirely cohesive throughout and remains centered around a particular aesthetic, prompted by the time andplace for which it was recorded. Justin Vernon, the primary force behind Bon Iver, seems to have tested hisboundaries to the maximum, and in doing so has managed to break free from any pre-cursing or finishedforms.It wasn't planned. The goal was to hibernate. Vernon moved to a remote cabin in the woods of NorthwesternWisconsin at the onset of winter. He lived there alone for three months, filling his days with wood splittingand other chores around the land. This solitary time slowly began feeding a bold, uninhibited new musicalfocus. The days slowly evolved into nights filled with twelve-hour recording blocks, breaking only for tripson the tractor into the pines to saw and haul firewood, or for frozen sunrises high up a deer stand. All of hispersonal trouble, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt that had been stock piled overthe course of the past six years, was suddenly purged into the form of song.TRACKLISTING:FlumeLump SumSkinny LoveThe Wolves (Act I and II)BlindsidedCreature FearTeamFor Emmare: stacks
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I can see why reaction to Bon Iver is so fragmented. There are those who hail it an instant epic, and others who think its pastoral nonsense. I'm somewhat in the middle - granted, these sorts of slow burner indie-folk albums aren't for everybody, but there is definitely something more special about this particular album - more so because its a concept album about that most universal of animals - lost love.
While the harmonies here are subdued and very, very slow-paced, the atmosphere of the entire album is what makes it work. There is a heady iciness to the entire venture, a sort of morbid sadness even, one that permeates every single track. Like Camille's "Le Fil" which had a drone running through each song (and for minutes after the last song played), this mood of sombre melancholy is present in spades on this album, and this also works for it.
The centerpiece is the two-suite "The Wolves" and the luminous "Team". None of these songs work especially well on their own. Like any good novel, each song blends into the other so that the album needs to be listened to in chronological order. Bon Iver's mastery of the sparse musical medium is astounding, and the way he makes every track here speak its' own unique brand of solitudinal longing, is a work of art waiting to be unraveled.
For many people who read this positive review, you might well buy this album and be shocked by the 'dull', 'slow' songs therein. This is in part true. It takes a while to 'get' what the artist is trying to accomplish here, but if you approach this as a rich experimental piece worth investing in, you just might reap some invaluable rewards.
Highly Recommended.
While the harmonies here are subdued and very, very slow-paced, the atmosphere of the entire album is what makes it work. There is a heady iciness to the entire venture, a sort of morbid sadness even, one that permeates every single track. Like Camille's "Le Fil" which had a drone running through each song (and for minutes after the last song played), this mood of sombre melancholy is present in spades on this album, and this also works for it.
The centerpiece is the two-suite "The Wolves" and the luminous "Team". None of these songs work especially well on their own. Like any good novel, each song blends into the other so that the album needs to be listened to in chronological order. Bon Iver's mastery of the sparse musical medium is astounding, and the way he makes every track here speak its' own unique brand of solitudinal longing, is a work of art waiting to be unraveled.
For many people who read this positive review, you might well buy this album and be shocked by the 'dull', 'slow' songs therein. This is in part true. It takes a while to 'get' what the artist is trying to accomplish here, but if you approach this as a rich experimental piece worth investing in, you just might reap some invaluable rewards.
Highly Recommended.
72 of 81 people found the following review helpful
By John
Format:Audio CD
Upon hearing "Skinny Love", probably the most accessible song on "For Emma, Forever Ago", it was running through my head the rest of the week as I played it over and over again. This should in no way denigrate the rest of the album, which packs a surprising punch in 9 subtle songs. It would be easy to just treat "For Emma..." as background music, but a careful listen reveals layers of melody overlaid by Justin Vernon's impressive vocals.
"The Wolves (Act I and II)" starts off slowly but builds into a powerful message at the album's core:
What might have been lost
Don't bother me
The title track "For Emma" further embellishes on what might have been lost with a mixture of trumpet and strained guitar. The crooning of "Creature Fear" builds into the wonderfully moody instrumental "Team".
It is often mentioned that this album was written over the course of 4 wintry months in a Wisconsin cabin. Stereotyping the quiet solitude of this album on its origins is unfair, however: this isn't just one of those singer/songwriter efforts you hear about some guy writing on his own out in the woods; it is the epitome of a singer/songwriter recording the heartfelt musings of life in isolation.
I highly recommend this album--it's subtle tones on first listen grow into brilliance.
"The Wolves (Act I and II)" starts off slowly but builds into a powerful message at the album's core:
What might have been lost
Don't bother me
The title track "For Emma" further embellishes on what might have been lost with a mixture of trumpet and strained guitar. The crooning of "Creature Fear" builds into the wonderfully moody instrumental "Team".
It is often mentioned that this album was written over the course of 4 wintry months in a Wisconsin cabin. Stereotyping the quiet solitude of this album on its origins is unfair, however: this isn't just one of those singer/songwriter efforts you hear about some guy writing on his own out in the woods; it is the epitome of a singer/songwriter recording the heartfelt musings of life in isolation.
I highly recommend this album--it's subtle tones on first listen grow into brilliance.
51 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm afraid to listen to this record too much as I don't ever want it's brilliance to dim. Best thing I've heard in quite a while. Let's see, Feist was the last artist that moved me like this, not that Bon Iver is anything like that and he'll probably never be over played in trendy boutique, but there's something so deep and soulful in the plaintive whisperings on this record. Mostly it's quiet, mostly it's bone chillingly beautiful. I actually bought it with Neil Young's Live at Massey Hall, and they somehow speak to each other with a sidelong glance to Vashti Bunyan's Lookaftering. Take a chance on this like I did, you won't be disappointed. I hope to hear more from Bon Iver!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By SHIFTY507
Format:Vinyl
I picked this item up on vinyl from a local record store, but I've had it on my Amazon Wishlist for a while, so I figured I'd write a review. The music itself is excellent, and is in keeping with the other high reviews on this artist/album. Very heartfelt, one-guy-and-his-guitar-in-a-cabin-in-the-woods-reflecting-on-life. Great listening for a rainy day or evening, or just when you need background noise for an introspective moment. Regarding specifically the vinyl copy of the album, this is a quality pressing which is of the same audio quality as the CD release. Additionally, my copy from the record store included a coupon inside for a free digital download of the album (I can't guarantee that Amazon copies offer the same deal). If you enjoy Bon Iver, vinyl, and are looking for easy listening, I highly recommend this album in this format.
14 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The creation story is already a legend.
As winter descended, Justin Vernon moved to his father's cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin. He was "60 miles away from anyone I love, sometimes more like 1500." But he was "about 18 feet away from everything I love" --- a pile of old guitars, a mound of microphones, wires, chords, electric boxes. For several months, he dug in, chopping wood, thinking, writing, playing, recording. When he emerged, he had nine songs, about 35 minutes of music.
He smartly added a bit of production here, some backup there, and let the music breathe. Overnight, a cult formed. Now he and his two-man band are known as Bon Iver --- a play on the French for "good winter" --- and his debut CD is on all the best iPods.
The creation story hasn't hurt. But this is one time an ascent is almost totally because of the musical achievement. Here's Vernon's take:
"It's been painted in the reviews of the record as this magical four months of hunkering down and writing a record. In reality I headed out to the cabin because I just didn't know what to do next in my life. Once I got there though it just felt like all the blocks that I had put in my brain and heart in terms of musical expression started to loosen. They had been there for so long and the only thing that was able to loosen them up, and loosen me up, was having that much space...."
Space, as it turns out, is the glory of "For Emma". The lyrics are sparse and enigmatic --- the opening lines of the CD are "I am my mother's only one/It's enough" --- and sometimes they're more sounds than words. The music will strike prissy listeners as mere strumming.... Read more ›
As winter descended, Justin Vernon moved to his father's cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin. He was "60 miles away from anyone I love, sometimes more like 1500." But he was "about 18 feet away from everything I love" --- a pile of old guitars, a mound of microphones, wires, chords, electric boxes. For several months, he dug in, chopping wood, thinking, writing, playing, recording. When he emerged, he had nine songs, about 35 minutes of music.
He smartly added a bit of production here, some backup there, and let the music breathe. Overnight, a cult formed. Now he and his two-man band are known as Bon Iver --- a play on the French for "good winter" --- and his debut CD is on all the best iPods.
The creation story hasn't hurt. But this is one time an ascent is almost totally because of the musical achievement. Here's Vernon's take:
"It's been painted in the reviews of the record as this magical four months of hunkering down and writing a record. In reality I headed out to the cabin because I just didn't know what to do next in my life. Once I got there though it just felt like all the blocks that I had put in my brain and heart in terms of musical expression started to loosen. They had been there for so long and the only thing that was able to loosen them up, and loosen me up, was having that much space...."
Space, as it turns out, is the glory of "For Emma". The lyrics are sparse and enigmatic --- the opening lines of the CD are "I am my mother's only one/It's enough" --- and sometimes they're more sounds than words. The music will strike prissy listeners as mere strumming.... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good
soothing and inspiring. However, I will never be bale to hit those high notes. As an aspiring singer songwriter, I enjoy delving into his process and methods. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Scott H
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funky fresh
Not like anything else you're going to hear. Well deserved of 2012 best new artist. I use Flume as my wake-up alarm.
Published 11 days ago by Eric K. Jensen
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Emma, Forever Ago
Fantastic album. Some of the autotune that was added to the voice bothered me a little bit, but considering where and how the album was made, there's no need to be overly critical... Read more
Published 21 days ago by Isaac La Bleu
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE IT
I finally have taken a listen to Bon Iver. I know I am late in doing so, and glad I heard them on Austin City Limits. I am now a huge fan. VERY TALENTED.
Published 24 days ago by cynthia Meyer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Each song deserves more attention
While Iver's songs can blur together at first, repeated listening has opened up each song for me. That's always the mark of a good album, in my mind.
Published 1 month ago by DLewis
5.0 out of 5 stars
great vinyl
this is great sunday afternoon listening, relaxing, enjoying flipping the record and active listening. Read more
Published 1 month ago by sonny
1.0 out of 5 stars
Terrible pressing
This is a great album, but the vinyl pressing is awful. Surface noise (crackles and pops) throughout all the songs. Its so bad at times that the vocals and instruments distort. Read more
Published 2 months ago by skye
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
For Emma, Forever Ago is a fantastic album, and vinyl makes it that much better. Bon Iver has a way with music
Published 2 months ago by Paddler72
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent album
I like his self-titled album, but this one far exceeds it. Excellent. This album is pure enjoyment from Flume to Re:Stacks.
Published 2 months ago by Voodrew10
1.0 out of 5 stars
Bad vinyl pressing
Love this album and figured for $11, might as well have it on Vinyl. Like other reviewers have said, this is an awful pressing- surface noise at times distorts the vocals. Read more
Published 2 months ago by JZ
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