Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

[Tactful Cactus]

Gushing 5-star reviews a-plenty. I'm intrigued by this but a bit sceptical. Some of the reviews I've read (Uncut especially) lean heavily on their own romantic image of him as the lone woodsman, out in the forest with an acoustic guitar and pipe, writing a masterpiece

Is there something there, or is it all pipe-smoke and mirrors?

[Balboa]

Gushing 5-star reviews a-plenty. I'm intrigued by this but a bit sceptical. Some of the reviews I've read (Uncut especially) lean heavily on their own romantic image of him as the lone woodsman, out in the forest with an acoustic guitar and pipe, writing a masterpiece

Is there something there, or is it all pipe-smoke and mirrors?

It's pretty good - Django likes it a lot - I need to listen to it some more though. I guess theclosest thing to it would be 'Iron and Wine' but with a bit more of a kitchen sink approach.

[sloopjohnc]

It's spectral and moody.

[Molony]

I like it muchly and thank Django for introducing the album to me in a previous thread. I know what you mean about the back story and the fact that the mags seem to be latching onto the romantic image of the lone songwriter, but I didn't know that when I first heard it. Worth a listen, certainly.

[Django]

I was cynical about the back story as well, and continue to be so. The music, however, will make you stop caring one way or the other about that.

Bearing in mind, TC, that you and I never like the same music.......

[Tactful Cactus]

Bearing in mind, TC, that you and I never like the same music.......

I guess the pressure is now on Bon to bridge the gap

I'll give it a go

[Pool Hall Richard]

I downloaded it off a blog site a few weeks back, tis very good. One of the best albums of this year.

[ChrisB]

I downloaded it purely on glowing revues in both Mojo and Uncut. It's a lovely album, sparce and bleak on the surface, but full of warm melodies and ethereal harmonies. Recommended without any hesitation.

[Ghost of Harry Smith]

I downloaded it off a blog site a few weeks back, tis very good. One of the best albums of this year.

Yup, i concur. I thought it might just be more indie-boy mewling but the songs are very strong. It's a fairly unassuming little album and might take a couple of listens to get under your skin but i also place it highly in my best albums of the year list.

[Maxwell's Golden Pickaxe]

Must give it another spin. It completely failed to register on first listen.

[Tactful Cactus]

It's spectral and moody.

It certainly is. I kind of like it. Its a beautiful sounding album. It might not be the right comparison to make, but it reminded me of Sufjan in places, especially the trumpets and the way he surrounds the music with so much empty space. It's lovely, it really is. It just for 12 songs, or however long it is, it doesn't really hold me for more than about six.

Still, very good, and I'm seeing him live soon too.


*edit* I've corrected the spelling in the title

[Django]

*edit* I've corrected the spelling in the title

It's only just struck me that the name is a bastardisation of the French for "Good Winter". And when I say "struck me", I mean I read it in Uncut.

[RcL]

I like it so far, but Lump Sum kind of outdoes the rest.

[Tactful Cactus]

Saw him live the other night. He played with a second guitarist/bassist and drummer. Very good show.

[Maxwell's Golden Pickaxe]

Saw him live the other night. He played with a second guitarist/bassist and drummer. Very good show.

I read that was upgraded from the small Crawdaddy to the less-intimate Tripod. Do you think it suffered?

[Tactful Cactus]

Probably a bit, yeah. I was a bit disappointed when it was moved but the crowd was about three times the size of Crawdaddys capacity, so I guess it would have been stupid not to. They announced over the PA before the gig started that the music was going to be quiet so switch off mobiles and stop yapping...luckily it worked, the crowd was great. He played the whole album and seemed like a nice fella when he chatted in between songs (he used to live in Galway!)

[Maxwell's Golden Pickaxe]

They announced over the PA before the gig started that the music was going to be quiet so switch off mobiles and stop yapping...luckily it worked, the crowd was great

They should do that at every bloody gig in Dublin.

[Django]

They announced over the PA before the gig started that the music was going to be quiet so switch off mobiles and stop yapping...luckily it worked, the crowd was great

They should do that at every bloody gig in Dublin.

They should do that at every bloody gig.

[Guy E]

I kind of like it. Its a beautiful sounding album. It might not be the right comparison to make, but it reminded me of Sufjan in places, especially the trumpets and the way he surrounds the music with so much empty space. It's lovely, it really is. It just for 12 songs, or however long it is, it doesn't really hold me for more than about six.

It's reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens and early Iron & Wine... if you like them you'll like... etc. His voice has a higher register and there seem to be more melodies implied within the songs, although they're a bit elusive. I've listened a couple times and I'm glad I bought the album.

He lives in Eau Claire Wisconsin although it says the album was recorded in a hunting cabin. My sister lives in Eau Claire and her husband hunts – he rents cabins on occasion. Eau Claire is home to the University of Wisconsin, a large state school. The town has a permanent population of 65,000. Minneapolis/Saint Paul is an hour away… hardly a cultural backwater. I mean, they can romanticize it all they want and it’s cold as hell up there, ask Nathan. But I think the backwoodsman shtick is being laid on a little thick. He was never more than a short drive or a phone call away from civilization.

[Tactful Cactus]

He lives in Eau Claire Wisconsin although it says the album was recorded in a hunting cabin. My sister lives in Eau Claire and her husband hunts – he rents cabins on occasion. Eau Claire is home to the University of Wisconsin, a large state school. The town has a permanent population of 65,000. Minneapolis/Saint Paul is an hour away… hardly a cultural backwater. I mean, they can romanticize it all they want and it’s cold as hell up there, ask Nathan. But I think the backwoodsman shtick is being laid on a little thick. He was never more than a short drive or a phone call away from civilization.

If there was ever an air of mystery to Bon Iver, it vanished when he appeared on stage. I mean that in a good way though. He came across as a very affable, sincere guy when he chatted between songs, even admitting he used to sell mobile phones here in Ireland a few years ago. He played in a venue here in Dublin thats infamous for being noisy, its got a huge elevated bar at the back but you could have heard a pin drop on the night. I've never seen a gig like it before in that place, it was really terrific.

I can still only take the album in small chunks though.