As a new album looms on the horizon, the press circle begins and new songs are previewed for the world. Bon Iver is currently undergoing said process for the release of his new album “22, A Million” by showcasing his new song “8 (circle)” on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon last Tuesday.
The band was formed in 2006 when singer Justin Vernon disappeared into the wilderness after the breakup of both his band and his relationship to record what would inevitably become the band’s first album “For Emma, Forever Ago.”
Known for their folk sound and the soft lamenting falsetto that Vernon belts, it’s clear from the Fallon preview that the new album will feature a shift from the original sound the band is known for.
The vocals seem more refined than the band normally favors and the beats are more reminiscent of hip-hop than folk, which could be seen as Vernon borrowing influence from Kanye West, whom he has frequently collaborated with since 2010, having appeared on both “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “Yeezus.”
West’s influence reaches and combines with Bon Iver’s sound to create what seems to be a more experimental attempt than anything Vernon has attempted before, present even in the song’s titles. Announced two weeks ago, the names of the songs range from “21 M◊◊N WATER” to “10dEATh- b R E a sTxx.“ Regardless of how goofy the names may be, the experimental factor has been brought front and center.
Ultimately, however Bon Iver’s attempts at changing seem to be falling flat. The growth of an artist should come naturally and with all that Vernon has done recently, the album’s focus seems forced, and therefore bland.
The inspiration that drives an album is a hot topic in the music world, as it has that human element that makes a record feel alive and vibrant. Of course, the subjectivity of the matter makes it truly hard to define what exactly defines inspiration, but it is very obvi- ous that whatever makes up “8 (circle)” lacks inspiration.
The difference between this album’s previews and “For Emma, Forever Ago” is something that Justin Vernon has spoken on many times. Vernon is very particular about having an album feel emotional, taking hiatus from 2012 to 2016 because the band’s feelings were turning the music into a product that he did not feel was the direction the band was trying to head in. “22, A Million” so far has not had that emotional appeal he strives for.
“For Emma” is a highly emotional album, having the clear feeling of regret, sadness and introspection that came from a volatile time in Vernon’s life that he was able to translate into art, and that feeling just does not come from the previews so far. It’s almost disappointing that the new album conveys such a gimmicky feeling, with Vernon being so passionate about createst that right emotional factor to make his work memorable.
Ultimately “22, A Million” in full has yet to be released, and hopefully the rest of the album can make up for how lacking the singles have been so far. If not, then the best that can be hoped for is a bomb, because at least if it’s that bad, it’d be amusing.
Eric Ryan is a third-year student majoring in English writing track. ?He can be reached at ER821804@wcupa.edu.