“Calgary”
from the album Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2011
iTunes
For Bon Iver fans in our hometown of Eau Claire and across the world, the long-awaited day has finally come. Two years since the Blood Bank EP and three-plus years since the group’s debut full length For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver has finally dropped the first taste of its forthcoming, self-titled sophomore album due out June 21.
In many aspects the new track “Calgary” has the classic aspects of mastermind Justin Vernon’s songwriting style that the world has come to know and love. “Calgary” is as soulful as it is intricate, and although its various layers of synth and guitars build up to a more complex feel than Vernon’s previous works, his one-of-a-kind vocal abilities give the track its necessary Bon Iver tranquility.
Obviously one track doesn’t define a whole body of work. However, over the past year or so a few rumors had trickled out of the Bon Iver camp, including claims that Vernon brought in an orchestra for the record and that he had, at times, maxed out the number of instrument tracks on various songs, taking the sound to a whole new level. “Calgary” may not exactly confirm those types of “reports,” but it does seem to hint at the new face of the project.
Since its release, For Emma seemed to be one of those truly great albums that is nearly impossible to follow. Vernon had created a truly unique sound, and from there there were really only two things to do: 1) Make an unfortunate For Emma remake, or 2) Grow. Judging from “Calgary,” Vernon’s creativity has grown in a very healthy way.