Bon Iver- “Calgary”

On this new track, Bon Iver has altered the instrumentation his somber tunes soak in, but not much else. Years after For Emma has dropped, the mood as stayed roughly the same–which is a pretty great thing, to me. Sincerity, earnestness, honesty, and passion all come through on this one. My only issue is that [...]

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On this new track, Bon Iver has altered the instrumentation his somber tunes soak in, but not much else. Years after For Emma has dropped, the mood as stayed roughly the same–which is a pretty great thing, to me.

Sincerity, earnestness, honesty, and passion all come through on this one.

My only issue is that even though Bon Iver’s ambition has grown, the recording quality has not. There are a few spots here where the lo-fi sound quality holds things back a bit, but it’s not like the song is ruined entirely.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/thatandthevatican clayton

    What parts sound like the recording quality is lo-fi? I think there’s a big difference between raw recording and lo-fi. Bon Iver isn’t about the polished sound that most band’s strive for, so I’m not surprised that this new effort is just as raw as their last.

    You should review the whole album.

  • K DeSt

    I love your reviews, but sometimes you’re just too analytical/critical for my taste. This song is fantastic, plain and simple. Lo-fi? sure; too a fault? nah. Its already one of my favorite Bon Iver songs, even after just one or two listens. And while it is easily recognizable as Bon Iver (via his unmistakable vocals), it definitely showcases an evolution in his sound involving the eerie synth line to open, the strong percussion that was largely absent on Emma, nice strings and a clear growth to his songwriting structure… I’ve gotta listen it again, yah!