There are always those certain albums or songs that make an instant impact, at a specific time in your life, and for a specific reason. When I was first introduced to Bon Iver's distillation of new folk and ruminative indie beauty, I had just made my first move to a place on my own. I was embarking on a new journey of discovery, and I was confused as hell about where my life was going and why I couldn't shake a certain heartbreak that seemed to be lasting forever. The song was "Skinny Love", and it made me ache in ways I didn't realize could feel so damn good.
For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut album from Justin Vernon, the soul contributor to the Bon Iver sound on this record. Much has been said in reference to the legend of how this album was created, but I think it bears restating, simply because the lore is so much a part of what the end product sounds and feels like. As the story goes, Vernon had recently gone through a series of changes in his life, namely; losing his long-term band, and losing the one he loved. So what did he decide to do? Well he decided to move to a log cabin deep in the woods of Wisconsin, setting up a makeshift studio and settling there alone for the long winter. Apparently the isolation was what helped Vernon create such a distinctive and unhurried sound, and the songs came together in pieces that were then put together with Vernon adding layers of sounds until he came upon the desired outcome.
The album is in fact, stunning in it's beauty and it's simplicity. There's a rustic and low-fi edge to the recordings that seems grafted directly from his intentional isolation, heartbreak, and man-alone-in-the-woods experiences. This is not a record that could have been recorded in a large studio, on a rushed schedule, or in a calculated attempt to cash in on any indie-folk trend. This album sounds heartbreakingly honest, and is delivered with so much passionate vigor that it seems Vernon has literally left his guts on the floor, which, in turn, makes For Emma, Forever Ago one of the most moving and delicately gorgeous records you're likely to hear in your lifetime. And that's not an overstatement.
For Emma, Forever Ago is perfect for those days when you feel the need to just disappear from the world. Somehow, encased within the 9 delicate tracks, is a subtle taste of the isolated environment they were recorded in, wrapped in a warm blanket of falsetto croons and plucked guitars. If you've ever spent the day laying in bed, staring out the window just to watch the snow gently fall to the ground, then you almost already know what this album sounds like. The record is the perfect companion to a day of wonder and contemplation, for the times when heartbreak seems all to close, for the moments when life's troubles seem too heavy to bare on your own. Vernon's Bon Iver moniker allowed him to infuse the music with a certain mysterious characteristic that makes it's vulnerability universal, even in the most personal moments.
With a relatively short playing time, it's more than likely this is an album you'll want to put on repeat. Every single song has multiple layers of resonant feeling, and each track will find a way to burrow into your head and your heart. Trying to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes this album special is to miss the point. What makes this record special is your own unique relationship to it, once it's been ingested. There's not only heartbreak and sadness, but also hope and redemption at the heart of For Emma, Forever Ago. Approach it with your guard down and it will surely win you over.
Re:Stacks (Track 9)
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