I,I
by Bon Iver

From JulianR TOP 100 COMMENTER 08/09/2019 05:35 | #240977 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Not as immediately striking to me as 22, A Million. But to be fair, 22 A Million is one of my all time favorite albums. I just never heard something quite so gripping as Over Soon or Deathbreast. It feels almost, alllmostttt, like an alternative R&B album. Which is nice, but I much preferred his more experimental work on 22. And I hate to use 'sounding same-y' as a critique because it basically just means I haven't listened to it enough to grasp its nuance, but that was my impression upon first listen. Other than Salem, which I felt harkened back to the doubly-self-titled album, the rest felt a lot like a rehashing of the ideas presented in the second half of 22 A Million, with a bit lesser success. But don't let me tell you what to like or not like. I'm just somebody. And my opinion is probably gonna change anyway.

75/100 (Above Average)

For the first time, Bon Iver doesn’t take a gigantic leap forward... and the result is still perfection. He blends the sounds and vibes of his first three albums and such a cohesive manner. This will go down as his most underappreciated and underrated album to date, which is a loss to anyone who views this as anything but great music.

From buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/12/2020 01:33 | #262576 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

While not quite as experimental as its predecessor 22, A Million, this album is a challenging listen at times, in that it consists of a number of tracks that never quite coalesce into full-blown songs. Rather, this album has a distinctly fragmentary feel to it. At times the experience of listening to it can be a little unsatisfying. Then again, the fragments often have a hypnotic, even transcendent effect that might even be heightened by the way the songs refuse to come together completely. Bon Iver recognizes the value of a great one-liner, and he makes the most of his talent for those on tracks such as "RABi," which has this gorgeous refrain: "So what of this release? / Sunlight feels good now, don't it? / I don't have a leaving plan / But something's gotta ease your mind / But it's all fine or it's all crime anyway." Great stuff from one of the most inventive artists of the decade. (Edited)

Very similar to the last album in feel, delivery and certainly in sound but it just fails to gel like past releases. There are some beautiful moments, as you would expect, but it struggles for coherency (reminding me of Bill Callahan's 2019 opus too) and tends to frustrate here and there. Still, it's a decent enough album but maybe Justin Vernon needs a change of direction for his next lp.

From lleon79 TOP 100 COMMENTER 08/11/2019 00:18 | #241051 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Wow. I think it's one of my favorites this year so far! It's simply amazing. I think it's the Bon Iver record that has resonated with me the most. Truly beautiful. Will be looping it so hard these next days.