New Song from The Shins

I wasn't sure if this day would ever come, but The Shins have finally released a new song.  The Shins last album, Wincing the Night Away, came out in 2007.  When that album came out, I immediately fell in the love with it.  I listened to it all the time, I mean it never even left for CD player for well over a year.  It was one of those albums that you could listen to regardless of what your mood was.  It was a solid album.

But then time went by and reports of the band splitting up began to appear.  James Mercer, the bands leader singer, started doing the side project Broken Bells.  Other members of the band were forming new bands.  It broke my heart to think there would be no more music by The Shins.  But then news came out that James had began working on a new Shins album and that made me really excited.  Then news came that the album had a title, Port of Morrow, and a release date, March 20th, 2012.  Let me tell you, I was a happy camper when I heard this news.

And then yesterday, Jan. 9th, the first single from Port of Morrow was released.  The first single is called Simple Song and I must say I am a fan.  I really look forward to hearing what the rest of the album will be like.  Below is a link to Pitchfork.com that has the song streaming.  Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I do.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12952-simple-song/?utm_medium=bnt_sidebar&utm_source=pitchfork

Top Ten Albums of 2011

Here are my Top Ten Albums of 2011.  Bon Iver was my favorite album of the year hands down, wasn't even close.  Such a beautiful album.  If you haven't listened to it yet, please go pick it up!!!

1.  Bon Iver - Bon Iver
2.  Fleet Foxes -  Helplessness Blues
3.  Adele - 21
4.  The Civil Wars - Barton Hallow
5.  Cults - Cults
6.  The Weeknd - House of Balloons/Thursday
7.  St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
8.  Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
9.  James Blake - James Blake
10.  Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

I have also included an Honorable Mention list because 2011 featured some pretty solid albums.

Honorable Mentions:
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
The Decemberists - The King is Dead
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient
Cut Copy - Zonoscope

James Blake & Bon Iver - Fall Creek Boys Choir

Instead of my normal music highlights of the day post I'm just going to talk about the new song featuring James Blake and Bon Iver that was released today.  Last week James Blake released a post on Twitter saying that he and Bon Iver had an announcement to make on 8-24.  When I saw this I got really excited.  So far I've absolutely loved everything Justin Vernon of Bon Iver has done so far and the more I listen to James Blake, the more I enjoy him.

Early this morning I was sitting at work and remembered that today was supposed to be the big announcement.  I had expected it to be announced early this morning and was slightly disappointed when I didn't read any news of it.  I am have even sent a post to James Blake and Justin Vernon on Twitter about it, but just maybe.  Within 30 minutes of sending the message, news started coming out that the song Fall Creek Boys Choir would be played live on BBC Radio.  When I saw this I got a little excited, okay really excited.

If you are a fan of Bon Iver's latest album or of James Blake album you will probably really enjoy Fall Creek Boys Choir.  It is pure auto-tune magic.  Understanding the lyrics is a tad difficult but the song still has this incredible beauty to it.  I really hope that this collaboration can turn into a full album.  That would be absolutely amazing!!!

For those of you that haven't listened to it, here is Fall Creek Boys Choir by James Blake & Bon Iver

Music Highlights of the Day 8-23-11

Go Outside by Cults:  The Cults are a band out of Manhattan that have an extremely fun sound to them.  When I listen to them I just think of a 60's beach party.  The first single released from their debut album was Go Outside.  To me Go Outside is one of those songs you would expect to hear in a commercial, especially an Apple or some car commercial.  Here is the official video for the song:

Holocene by Bon Iver:  Last week the video for Holocene was released and it is beautiful.  It was filmed in Iceland and shows how amazing the landscape is there.  I absolutely love Bon Iver and any chance to listen to a Bon Iver song is a treat.  Hope you enjoy the video as much as I did.

Music Highlights of the Day 8-22-11

Conversation 16 by The National: The National have slowly become one of my favorite bands. In fact I would be them in my Top 3 favorite bands and about to become number 1. Seeing them last summer in concert is the reason for this. They put on such an incredible show. Their live performance alone is why people should check this band out. Today I listened to their last album High Violet. One of my favorite songs off the album has got to be Conversation 16. It's a very dark and bleak song. The lyric "I was afraid, I'd eat your brains" is proof enough how dark it is.

Wake and Be Fine by Okkervil River: Okkervil River is another one of my favorite bands. I actually got to see them last summer in concert opening for The National. I don't know what it is about Okkervil River but I absolutely love them. Their songs end to be dark but always seem to tell a great story. Below is a video from their latest album. Hope you enjoy it.

Music Highlights of the Day 8-18-11 & 8-19-11

Work has been kind of slow the last few days so I haven't really been able to focus on music as much. Because of this I've decided to combine the last two days.

Change of Time by Josh Ritter: If you've watched any of the preseason NFL games this season you have probably heard this song. When I saw the commercial I was completely shocked. I couldn't believe I was hearing Josh Ritter on a nationally televised commercial. I've seen Josh Ritter I'm concert and he is one of the happiest people I've ever seen on stage. If you have the chance to see Josh in concert, do it!

First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes: I first started listening to Bright Eyes my senior year of college. With the release of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Bright Eyes released a collection of beautiful songs, but to me the best song was First Day of My Life. When you listen to the lyrics you can't help but feel great and possibly get the chills.

The Party & The After Party by The Weeknd: The Weeknd is an R&B singer out of Toronto that has released two mixtapes for free online. His first mix tape, House of Balloons, Has received a lot of praise from various critics. I feel that it is a solid album that is enjoyable to listen to from beginning to end. My favorite song on the album has got to be The Party & The After Party

Music Highlights of the Day 8-17-11

Limit to Your Love by James Blake:  So I've listened to James Blake full length album twice now and every time this song comes on I wonder where I've heard it before.  The reason why this song sounds so familiar is because it's actually a song originally performed by Feist.  Feist is an artist who I haven't listened to a lot of but I some how remember she did this song.  I kind of prefer the James Blake version but I can let you decide which one you like more, so here are videos for both.

Sun Hands by The Local Natives:  The Local Natives are a band that I fell in love with the second I heard them.  I just really enjoy their harmonies and the tempo of their songs.  I actually got to see them in concert a little over the year ago at what once was the Empyrean in Spokane.  It was a nice intimate venue and I was able to pretty much be right in the bands face, it was incredible.  Sun Hands is probably one of my favorite Local Natives songs and watched a video of them performing it at this years Lollapalooza.  I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do.

Music Highlights of the Day 8-16-2011

Set Fire to the Rain by Adele: Set Fire to the Rain is probably my favorite song off Adele's latest album. It is just one of those songs that gets into your head and you can't stop singing it all day long. Every time I hear it I wonder what it would look like to set fire to the rain. It's one of those things I can visualize happening in some apocalyptic movie. Yes I know that sounds strange but that's what I think when I hear it.

Howlin' for You by The Black Keys: The Black Keys are a band I wish I would have found out about earlier. I had heard of them but never listened to them until after their latest album, Brothers, was released. Howlin' for You is a song that you can't help but enjoy. For me, it's a song that pumps me up and gets me excited. It's one of those songs that everyone should listen to. The video for Howlin' for You is pretty crazy, tons of celebrities.

Music Highlights of the Day 8-15-2011

Spanish Sahara by The Foals:  A friend had told me to check out Spanish Sahara by The Foals, so I did.  At the beginning of the song I was a little hesitant because it was slower than I expected.  Not really sure why I expected it to be more uptempo but I did.  While listening to it, I kept saying to myself, "This has got to pick up at some point."  And sure enough it did and I love it.  Below is the music video for the song.

Black Leaf by The Cave Singers:  The Cave Singers are a band that I had heard of before but never listened to their music.  Recently I had read on Twitter that they were opening for the Fleet Foxes, a band I love, and that Robin Pecknold, the lead singer of Fleet Foxes, was blown away by their performances.  Because of that I had to give The Cave Singers a listen.  I listened to the album while working one day, nothing really stood out.  I decided to give the album another listen and when I heard Black Leaf something just hit me.  Not sure what it was but I loved it.  I really like the way the lead singer sounds and enjoy the tempo of the song.  Here is the video below.

Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch:  The other night I was watching the movie Away We Go and one of the first things I noticed about it was the music.  I immediately did a search to see who it was that was featured in the movie.  It happened to be Alexi Murdoch, a singer who I've had on my iPod for years but haven't really listened to him.  First thing Monday morning I decided that I must listen to his album.  I really enjoyed what I heard but what stood out to me the most on the album was the last song, Orange Sky.  The part I enjoyed the most had to be the lyric "In your love, my salvation lies".  This lyric is repeated multiple times throughout the song and something about it just gave me chills.

My Take on Paste Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2010

Paste Magazine just released their picks for the Top 50 Albums of 2010/  The list can be found here: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2010/12/the-50-best-albums-of-2010.html

Out of the 50 albums they have listed, I have so far listened to 28 of them.  Because I have listened to more than half the albums, I've decided that I would start with the lowest ranked album on their list that, that I've listened to, and work my way up to number one. I will rank each album as I listen to them and see if I feel they should be higher or lower on the list.  Here is my list so far (I have placed the Paste ranking in parenthesis):

29. Phosphorescent: Here's to Taking it Easy (8)
28. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor (5)
27. Anais Mitchell: Hadestown (41)
26. Freelance Whales: Weathervanes (29)
25. Vampire Weekend: Contra (27)
24. Josh Ritter:  So Runs The World Away (38)
23. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void (33)
22. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty (37)
21. Beach House: Teen Dream (24)
20. She & Him: Volume 2 (30)
19. Girl Talk: All Day (34)
18. The Roots: How I Got Over (31)
17. Band of Horses: Infinite Arms (14)
16. Spoon: Transference (36)
15. Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killer (18)
14. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening (1)
13. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues (15)
12. Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks (10)
11. Sleigh Bells: Treats (6)
10. Suckers: Wild Smile (20)
9. Lissie: Catching a Tiger (26)
8. Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More (3)
7. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt (22)
6. Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz (9)
5. Janelle Monae:  The ArchAndroid (2)
4. The National: High Violet (11)
3. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (4)
2. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor (48)
1. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs (7)

Top Ten Albums of 2010

1.  Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
2.  Local Natives: Gorilla Manor
3.  Kanye West:  My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
4.  Avi Buffalo: Avi Buffalo
5.  The National:  High Violet
6.  Janelle Monae:  The ArchAndroid
7.  Sufjan Stevens:  The Age of Adz
8.  The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt
9.  Mumford and Sons: Sign No More
10.  Lissie:  Catching a Tiger

Arcade Fire Live on YouTube

Tonight Arcade Fire is holding a live webcast of their concert at Madison Square Garden on YouTube.  Not gonna lie, I am excited for this show.  I've read on many occasions that Arcade Fire is incredible live, but being in the Inland Northwest I highly doubt they will play anywhere near here (well maybe Seattle).  This live webcast will give me the chance to finally see what an Arcade Fire show is all about.

Another thing I am looking forward to with the concert is that Terry Gilliam is set to direct the concert.  You may be asking who is Terry Gilliam?  Well he is the on of the guys behind Monty Python and the director of movies like 12 Monkeys, Brazil and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Heath Ledger's last film).  If you have every experienced anything Terry has done you know that his projects tend to be visually stunning.  Because of that I am interested to see what he has planned for a concert.

The combination of Arcade Fire and Terry Gilliam makes the concert a must see.  I highly recommend everyone tune in and check it out.  Here is the link for the webcast.

http://www.youtube.com/ArcadeFireVEVO

The concert starts at 7 pm PST.  Be sure to check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Arcade Fire's New Album "The Suburbs" Initial Thoughts

Today is the official release date for the new Arcade Fire called "The Suburbs".  I've spent the last few days listening to it and I love it.  I don't think it is quite as good as their debut album "Funeral", but I do enjoy it more than their last album "Neon Bible".

 

I would like to spend a little more time with the album before I give it a full detailed review.  I mean I have only been listening to it while working at my desk so it hasn't gotten 100% of my attention.  I am able to give a few insights about it though.  I would have to say my favorite song so far on the album is Modern Man.  I don't know what it is about it, but it's fun and when I first heard it I immediately enjoyed it.  The song right after Modern Man, Rococo is a great song to sing in the car.  Just repeating Rococo over and over again.


I feel like the first album packs more of a bunch and is more upbeat and enjoyable to listen to, while the later half just kind of strolls along with songs that tend to blend together.  My favorite song in the second half of the album is probably Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).  I think part of the reason for me enjoying this song is because Regina is the main singer so it's a nice change of pace from Win, the bands lead singer and Regina's husband.  I also really enjoy this line from the song: "Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains and theres no end in sight".  


I haven't really looked too much into the lyrics but the overall theme of the album is about suburbian life and the highs and lows of it.


Right now I would have to say that this album is my favorite of the year so far.  Arcade Fire has come out with another outstanding album and don't appear to be losing their touch.  I highly recommend the album and feel that people should start appreciating the good music that's out there and support a band like Arcade Fire.

Top Ten Albums of 2010 (so far)

1.  Local Natives: Gorilla Manor
2.  Suckers: Wild Smile
3.  The National:  High Violet
4.  Shearwater:  The Golden Archipelago
5.  Frightened Rabbit:  The Winter of Mixed Drinks
6.  The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt
7.  Spoon:  Transference
8.  Broken Bells:  Broken Bells
9.  Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void
10.  Band of Horses:  Infinite Arms

Honorable Mention:  The Morning Benders, Titus Andronicus, Janelle Monae, Big Boi, The Roots, Avi Buffalo, Sleigh Bells, Josh Ritter

Blitzen Trapper/The Moondoggies Concert

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of getting to see two bands that I really enjoy in concert, Blitzen Trapper and the Moondoggies.  The concert took place at the Knitting Factory in Spokane.  If you haven't been there, it can be a pretty decent venue for a concert.  The audience isn't always the best though and that was the case for this concert.  The crowd was fairly small and some of those in attendance hadn't even heard of either band and decided to talk through most of the concert.  Trust me I was really frustrated.

Even though the crowd was bad, the bands themselves were great.  The Moondoggies started out the night with a pretty good set.  While watching the lead singer, Kevin Murphy, seemed to be channeling his inner My Morning Jacket's Jim James.  Kevin had some great energy and just belted out his songs.  After the performance you could tell the Moondoggies won over a lot of fans.  People were running to the merchandise stand to purchase their album.

After a solid performance by the Moondoggies, Blitzen Trapper took the stage.  They started out the night with "Black River Killer" off their amazing album Furr.  After that they started to mix in numerous songs off their new album, Destroyer of the Void.  Since Destroyer of the Void hadn't been released when the concert happened it was interesting to see the fans reactions to the new songs.  My favorite part of the night was when  Erik Earley, the leader singer, took the stage by himself and sang my favorite song off Destroyer of the Void, "The Man Who Would Speak True".  I really enjoyed how Blitzen Trapper mixed both old and new songs.  Seeing them perform songs off the new album actually made me like the new album even more.

If you haven't listened to Blitzen Trapper yet, they are definitely worth a listen.  I would say listen to Furr and then Destroyer of the Void and then if you have the opportunity see them in concert.  You won't be disappointed.

Here is the setlist from Blitzen Trapper (the first one I've ever gotten):

Black River Killer
Laughing Lover
Fire & Fast Bullets
God & Suicide
Love & Hate
Destroyer of the Void
Evening Star
Heaven & Earth
Below the Hurricane
Lady on the Water
The Tree
The Man Who Would Speak True
Not Your Lover
Furr
Sleepytime in the Western World
Dragon's Song
Lover Leave Me Drowning
Sadie
Wild Mountain Nation

Arcade Fire Announce New Album

Arcade Fire has finally announced their new album, The Suburbs.  This is an album that I have been waiting for years to be released.  I have eagerly anticipated any news about this album, whether it was they have started writing, recording, mixing, about to release, etc.  A couple weeks ago they released a 10 second segment of both sides of the first single.  Even though it was only 10 seconds, it was new Arcade Fire and that alone is amazing.  The new album will be released on August 3rd.  Below is the cover art for The Suburbs.

To pre-order the album go to http://www.arcadefire.com/

Local Natives/Suckers Concert

My ears are ringing like they never have before.  It only adds to the incredible night that was had at the Empyrean in Spokane.  Tonight the Suckers and Local Natives put on an absolutely amazing concert.  When I got to the Empyrean, the Local Natives were just finishing up their sound check.  This was the first time I've ever experienced a sound check.  It was pretty fun to watch.  After that the Suckers took the stage and did their sound check.  Once they were done that was when the waiting began.  I had read somewhere that a local band was supposed to open, but they never took the stage.  I'm not sure if they were no-shows or weren't really scheduled to play.

The Suckers were the first band to take the stage tonight.  I don't really know the Suckers that well.  They only have 4 track EP with a full length album coming out on June 8th.  When they took the stage, they looked just like regular guys until I saw the lead singer, Quinn Walker.  He decided to have war paint on his face.  I was kind of expecting it since I read many articles comparing them to David Bowie.  Once the band started playing I was no longer distracted by the war paint.  The Suckers were completely crazy up on stage.  Quinn's stage presence was awesome.  He took control of the audience and captivated them with his every move.  I can't tell you what their songs were about, but I look forward to hearing their album that comes out.  Their performance made me a fan.

After the Suckers, it was time for the Local Natives.  I am absolutely in love with the Local Natives album, Gorilla Manor.  I can listen to the album on repeat for hours and hours.  Once they got on stage you could feel the audiences excitement.  The energy in the room just exploded with the first strum of the guitar.  The bands lead singer, Taylor Rice, has one of the best Tom Selleck-mustaches in music history.  When Taylor starts playing that guitar and dancing on stage the only emotion possible is happiness and awe.  Each member of the band played multiple instruments throughout the night and did an incredible job showing how talented they are.  For me the highlight of the night was when they played "Airplanes".  I have absolutely loved this song for the first time I heard it and they did not let me down.  Hearing it live sent shivers down my spin.  Another highlight was the last song of the night, "Sun Hands".  The entire audience was anticipating this song, waiting for them to blow us away and that they did.  The Local Natives look at home on the stage and you could see how much they love what they do.

Overall I felt the Local Natives and the Suckers put on one the best concerts I have ever been to.  As I'm typing this my ears are still ringing.  If you have the opportunity to see either of these bands in concert I highly recommend it.  Until then pick up both their albums and be amazed by two highly talented bands.

Local Natives Concert Tonight

Tonight the Local Natives are playing in Spokane at the Empyrean.  I'm pretty excited for this concert.  I absolutely love their album "Gorilla Manor".  If you haven't heard it yet, it is one of the year's best so far.  I would have to say my favorite songs off the album are Sun Hands and Airplanes.  Their harmonies are incredible.

I haven't read anything about how they are in concert but I'm hoping they are amazing.  Since the concert is at the Empyrean it will be a small intimate show.  I have been to a concert at the Empyrean before back when it was The Big Dipper.  I saw the Hold Steady there and found the venue to be pretty sweet for a concert.  It's not like a big arena show where you can barely see the band.  You are right in the bands face and the energy can be incredible.

Opening for the Local Natives are the Suckers and a local band called Sassmatrons.  I have spent a majority of the day listening to the Suckers EP to try and get a feel for them.  From what I've heard I think they should put on a pretty good show.  They only have a 4 track EP out with a full length album coming out in June, so I have a feeling a lot of the songs played will be from that full length album.  I have no idea what the Sassmatrons sound like so it will interesting to see how they are.

Given the small intimate setting of the Empyrean and my enjoyment of the Local Natives, I have a feeling tonights concert will be one to remember.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective is a band that I don't know much about.  Their album "Strawberry Jam" was a huge critical hit back in 2007.  Pitchfork Media said it was their sixth best album of '07.  Animal Collective is made up of four guys: Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin, and Geologist.  Just by looking at their names you can tell they might just be a little different.  I have listened to Panda Bear's solo album, also released in '07 called "Person Pitch".  That was a strange album, so if Animal Collective sounds anything like Panda Bear, "Merriweather Post Pavilion" will be an interesting album to listen to.

Unlike the Bon Iver EP, I'm gonna listen to "Merriweather Post Pavilion" all the way through and then post comments about it.

Alright so I've finally listened to "Merriweather Post Pavilion", the latest album from the band Animal Collective.  After one listen it sounds a lot like Panda Bear's "Person Pitch" which sorta makes sense since Panda Bear is one of the lead singers of Animal Collective.  "Merriweather Post Pavilion" is not going to be for everyone.  In fact, I don't know if many people I know will enjoy it at all.  For me I feel that this is an album that is going to take multiple listens to fully appreciate.

The songs on "Merriweather Post Pavilion" all tend to blend together with there infectious beats.  It's hard to tell when a song ends and another one begins.  For some albums I feel that could be a bad thing, but for this one it works.  Lyrically I can honestly say I have no idea what is going on.  If you are one that tends to prefer relating to lyrics this album may not be for you.  Personally for me I can go either way.  Given the type of music Animal Collective creates, I'm okay with lyrics that don't really relate to me after one listen.

My favorite song so far on the album is Summertime Clothes.  First time I heard it I found it to be a fun song to listen to.  It's a fairly simple song about a hot summer night where you can't sleep and just going out and walking around the city with a loved one.  The beats within the song do a great job making you feel the joy of that experience.  It's just simple, upbeat fun.

Animal Collective's new album won't be for everyone.  I feel that if you enjoy experimenting with the music you listen to, you should give "Merriweather Post Pavilion" a listen.  There isn't really anything else out there like it.  Animal Collective is on the of the few bands out that are doing there own thing and have fun with it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP

Bon Iver aka Justin Vernon, released one of, if not, the best albums of 2008 with "For Emma, Forever Ago".  For me, the album took sometime for me to fall in love with.  At first I thought all the songs sounded the same and were just kind of bland.  But throughout the year I kept hearing about this Bon Iver and how is album is supposed to be amazing.  So I kept listening to it.  After about the fifth listen I really started to like the album.  "For Emma, Forever Ago" did end up being one of my favorite albums of 2008, but that was 2008.

It is now 2009 and Bon Iver starts out the new year with an EP called "Blood Bank".  From what I've read about this EP is that it contains songs that were written during the same time as "For Emma, Forever Ago", but just didn't fit with the album.

Here are my thoughts as I listen to each track:

1) Blood Bank:  One thing about Bon Iver is that vocally he is just beautiful.  Then you throw in lyrics like "Then the snow started falling.  We were stuck out in your car.  You were rubbing both of my hands, chewing on a candy bar" and "That we don't know how to tell, I'm in love with your honor, I'm in love with your cheeks."  Something about those lines just pull at you emotionally.

2) Beach Baby:  Lyrically I have no idea what this song is about.  The instrumental at the end though is stunning.  I don't know if there is anything Bon Iver does wrong.

3) Babys:  Great intro that just builds up the anticipation for the song, very simple but gets you excited.  This song just seems very simple, but Bon Iver makes it so beautiful.  Lyrically this song is simple, it's just about making babies in the summer.

4) Woods:  Lyrically very easy, it's the same verse repeated multiple times.  Musically very different than anything Bon Iver has done before.  Imogean Heap is definitely the sound that comes to mind when you hear it.  It's hard to not be amazed when listening to this song because of how beautiful it is.

After an initial listen, "Blood Bank" is a great companion to "For Emma, Forever Ago".  It makes you just want more Bon Iver and shows that he isn't going to be a one hit wonder.  There is potential for great records for years to come.  I can't say anything but you must listen to Bon Iver.  You won't find anything more beautiful.

Rating: 4 out 5