Bon Iver - "Flume" (2008)

Bon Iver is not so much a band as it is just one guy. The guy in question would be Justin Vernon. Following the dissolution of his previous band DeYarmond Edison, Vernon retreat to a cabin in Wisconsin in the dead of winter and ended up recording the album For Emma, Forever Ago. He adopted the moniker Bon Iver as a play on the French phrase “bon hiver,” which means “good winter.” According to Vernon, he did not intend to write and record an album when he decided to hide out in the middle of nowhere. For Emma is quite a bare bones record, consisting mostly of a somewhat out of tune acoustic guitar as well as drums and other percussion. Vernon's vocal range is impressive, especially when he opts for the higher register as he often does. He's not bad with hooks either, such as on the album's most popular track, “Skinny Love.” I have to say that while I enjoyed this record, I don't believe it's the masterpiece that so many critics would have you believe it is. Yes, it is pretty cool considering one guy recorded everything himself, but it's not necessarily life changing. The record is pretty bleak all around, which is understandable given the setting of the recording. “Flume” begins the album and is one of Vernon's catchier tunes. Bon Iver now performs as a full band when touring. The band's tour dates are currently sparse, so I wouldn't be surprised if Vernon is working on LP2 right now.


Bon Iver - "Flume"

Wild Sweet Orange - "Tilt" (2008)

Wild Sweet Orange is a great indie band from Birmingham, AL that I recently discovered on Pandora. I'd been meaning to go ahead and pick up their full-length debut We Have Cause To Be Uneasy, but I didn't do so until last week. I shouldn't have waited so long because this is one great album. It's no coincidence that the title comes from a chapter title in the C.S. Lewis classic Mere Christianity. The album is full of spiritual allusions and mentions of God and the Church. I've always been intrigued when bands offer up deeper lyrics than usual and that's the case here. Front man Preston Lovinggood (another great name) is quite open about spiritual struggles and his honesty makes Wild Sweet Orange all the more appealing. Musically, the band has a slight Southern twinge to their guitar tone mixed with plenty of distortion. The acoustic guitar also plays a huge role on songs like “Sour Milk,” a scathing indictment of our parents' generation and their shortcomings. “Either/Or” boasts the catchiest guitar hook on the record while “Seeing and Believing” features one of the better crescendos I've heard in a while. Today's song is one of my favorite, with Lovinggood deftly moving from a whisper to a wail in the chorus. Wild Sweet Orange is currently on hiatus after the departure of a couple members. Hopefully they will forge ahead and continue to create music as excellent as this album.


Wild Sweet Orange - "Tilt"