Bon Iver - Bon Iver

I hadn't really expected anything of this album, having not been a fan of Bon Iver's studio debut For Emma, Forever Ago. Nor did I give it the full attention it probably deserved upon it's release. Having written the self-titled sophomore offering off as another lacklustre effort, I dismissed it to explore other musical opportunities. However, I found myself frequently in conflict with people whose opinions I trusted musically, so I gritted my teeth and assumed I was the problem.

After 4 or 5 tries at it, I finally began to appreciate parts of the album. The opening track, Perth, sets the slow-building pace of the album by parading a simple, chorus drenched guitar with a tone that wouldn't have been out of place on Siamese Dream. That same tone bridges into the second track, Minnesota, WI, another standout, despite being one of the more unusual tracks on the album.

The strength ends almost dead center in the album, though. Opening of the album up to (and including) Michicant would have made a phenomenal, 21-minute EP. Unfortunately, the remainder of the album, from the plodding Hinnom, TX to the worst of them all, the Soap Opera ballad Beth / Rest, fails to excite in any way. It pains me to give this review such a low mark, because for all of the shortcomings in the later half of the album, Bon Iver did manage to give us one of the more beautiful tracks of the year.

The tracks on here that are great are really quite great, and I'd encourage everyone to get their hands on it.

First 5 Tracks: 8.5 / 10
Second 5 Tracks 2.5 / 10
We'll split the difference on this one. 5.5 / 10