22, A Million is a definite departure from Justin Vernon’s previous projects – but not as much as everyone is saying. You can get a feel for this direction as early as the Blood Bank EP in 2009, or even in the artist’s collaborations with Kanye West for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. Vernon’s been developing a heavily-produced sound for a while now, filled with auto-tune and electro-sounding formants – but how does that sound stack up on its own in the newest album?
22 is, like its cover art suggests, a collage of images and tones sort of smashed together, but all of it driven by emotionally compelling symbols and stories. Vernon’s voice is just as rich as always, even behind frequency filters and what sounds like an analog vocoder, and I think this is most evident in the vocals-only track 715 - CR∑∑KS. My personal favorite of the record is 29 #Strafford APTS, which is a touching recall to familiar acoustic tones from Bon Iver’s previous work, while developing that sound into a shimmering lyric with beautifully chosen motifs.
The lo-fi sound of 22 is a brave choice to make in today’s age of hi-fi music streaming – and in some cases it can be a little shocking. Production elements like white noise and vinyl crackling add an intimate warmth to the album, but force the musical elements to be absolutely on-point to compensate. Thankfully, Justin Vernon and his production team are up to the task. Comfortable saxophone breaths mirror the electronica-sound in clarity and brightness. Rhythms have been developed thoroughly to keep each composition interesting, and the lyrics are easily memorable after only a few listens.
While 22, A Million doesn’t have any outstanding singles, it functions well as a complete record and guides listeners through a vibrant array of sounds. I’m a little bummed the days of For Emma, Forever Ago have passed by, but Bon Iver is pushing ahead in creativity nevertheless. The record’s a good listen in my opinion; set aside some time and check it out.
