The Evolution Of Bon Iver

When you think about your favourite artist or band, what comes to mind? Is it their songwriting;how it feels like they continuously take the words out of your mouth while articulating it all inways you never could? Is it their artistry; how they market themselves and their music whilstremaining true to their artistic selves? Or maybe it’s just the way they inspire or drive you,musically and creatively. That band for me is Bon Iver. Frontman Justin Vernon has, in myopinion, done the impossible by capturing raw emotion flawlessly in melody and harmony; usinghis production to enhance his musical message. This evolution of sound has been nothing shortof spectacular as the band crossed into unchartered territories by ditching acoustic guitars for abigger, more heavily produced sound. Yet somehow, they have managed to remain consistentin terms of unique lyrical content and mood creation. To understand the beauty of such anevolution however, we have to go back to where it all began.Most fans of Bon Iver will have heard the story of the making of ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’, theband’s debut album. After a traumatic heartbreak, Vernon retreated to a cabin in the woodswhere he proceeded to write and record an album of songs that will tug at your heart strings (orif you’re me sob for hours upon end for a heartbroken man you have never met, about aheartache you have never experienced). This acoustic, folk-driven album went on to bag Vernonand his bandmates a Grammy award, receiving huge acclaim from critics worldwide. It alsosucceeded in mapping the band as an indie folk force to be reckoned with. Inspiring a multitudeof folk artists and paving the way for a very niche ‘Bon Iver - sounding’ type of songwriting thatVernon both created and mastered in the penning of this first album.Almost five years after the release of For Emma, the band released their self-titled sophomorealbum ‘Bon Iver, Bon Iver’. Interestingly, given the success of the first album, ‘Bon Iver, BonIver’ failed to follow the same musical formula, instead opting to change musical directionambitiously - introducing a fuller, almost grungier sound. The album’s opening track ‘Perth’ is afar cry from the gentle, swinging ‘Flume’ which introduced Bon Iver to the world on the firstalbum. ‘Perth’ is heavy, with an electric guitar driven opening riff that develops into a motif,building up and fading out throughout the song. ‘Bon Iver, Bon Iver’ also saw a heavier use ofalternative instruments, particularly brass instruments with great focus on horns and saxophone.This development of musical tone and instrumentation showcased another side of the band,proving their versatility and development in terms of songwriting and composition.Yet another five years later, the band released one of the most interesting, forward-thinking, andutterly spectacular albums I have ever listened to. I have deemed it my favourite album ever fora multitude of reasons but for your sake reader, I will try and narrow those down. ‘22, A Million’marked another shift in the band’s sound; if the second album was a 90-degree spin, their thirdwas a full 180. Not only did the band utilise a greater variety of instruments, their music beganto cross into the realm of electronic music. With an extensive use of synths and a heavy use ofa vocoder, artificially modifying the pitch of Vernon’s vocals, the band’s sound was almostunrecognizable. Almost. I don’t think I fully understood why I was so entranced by Vernon’ssongwriting until I listened to ‘22 A Million’. Even when his vocals are modified, his electric guitaris distorted, and foreign synths fill up what once was a stripped back performance, Vernon’sconveying of emotion through his use of melody shines through.A highlight of the album for me is ‘8 circle’. Never have synths and the use of elements ofelectronic music combined with folk driven vocal melodies created a more ambient, soothingpiece of music. It was on this album that the band began to experiment with collaboration. I thinkone of the ways in which this was most successfully executed is through the heavy use ofsampling on the album. ‘00000 Million’ borrows an enchanting guitar melody as well as thecalming voice of Fionn Regan delivering what becomes the hook, if you will, of the song ‘Wherethe days have no numbers’. Innovative, and artistic on every level, this album is not only one ofmy favourite albums ever, but also a beautiful representation of the metamorphosis of a band,and a lesson in how to evolve your sound without losing your identity.For me, ‘22, A Million’ felt like the culmination of everything the band could have hoped toachieve both sonically and artistically. I wondered how such an album could be followed evenwhen in the hands of the wonderful Justin Vernon. With the release of ‘Hey, Ma’ in June of thisyear, it became apparent that, instead of going even wackier and more experimental, the bandwere, in some ways, returning to their roots. With stunning harmonies, sublime use of vocalpitching, and gorgeously sentimental melodies, ‘Hey, Ma’ is everything a perfect Bon Iver trackis. With the surprise release of the latest album after the holding of exclusive listening parties allover the world, 'i, i' not only took the world by surprise but became an instant sensation. Gaininghuge critical acclaim, the album is a continuation of the band's musical evolution whilst makingreferences to their past selves through more organic sounding vocals and instruments as wellas stunningly simple melodies.It’s hard to know where Bon Iver can go from here. In my mind they have mastered their craft,producing a sound that is so inherently unique and entirely singular. Their evolving sound andstylistic ideas have ensured both their longevity and credibility as one of the biggest names inthe business. I also think this is part of the reason so many artists continue to be inspired bytheir music. For me, Bon Iver’s music is a genre within itself, and one that I certainly cannot getenough of, at that. If I haven’t sold the pure magic of this band’s music to you yet, perhapsGlasshouse will as they take to the stage of The Kino on Saturday 21st September to perform aselection of Bon Iver’s music. Tickets for the 16-person ensemble event can be purchased onUTicket - you certainly don’t want to miss this one.