Bon Iver – 22, A Million
In 2012, Justin Vernon announced he was putting his musical brainchild, the beloved and acclaimed Bon Iver, to rest on an indefinite hiatus. In the years since, he has been essentially in hiding. There were occasional collaborative efforts with the likes of Kanye West and James Blake, a blues-rock record with The Shouting Matches, and other odd appearances. Now, the silence has been officially broken with Bon Iver’s third record, 22, A Million, a huge leap forward both sonically and creatively for his group. For many die hard fans, the first listen through may be quite jarring, and feel as if Vernon has lost his mind. In some ways, he has. There are many similarities between the events that led to his debut For Emma, Forever Ago, and what led to this new record. The world had broken him down, and he retreated inward. Out of the anxiety and depression[...]