A mass of rain-soaked fans flocked muddied grounds this Friday in hopes of hearing Bon Iver's rumored new album. Hints about new a new album arose when Bon Iver posted a teaser video on Twitter July, 22nd at 10:22am, which included an array of symbols and a sampling of singing. Following the video was the hashtag, #22 days, implying something was set to happen August 12th, the first day of Justin Vernon's Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, where Bon Iver would perform that evening. Speculation increased as murals began popping up around the world, the most recent appearing in the heart of Vernon's hometown, Eau Claire, WI.
The compact crowd's murmurings erupted into cheers as the stage lit up revealing a symboled background. And without introduction, the music began. The audience was hushed, focused solely on the new sound emanating from the speakers. Eccentric song titles were revealed individually on the Eaux Claires mobile app as the concert rolled along, including the album name, 22, A Million. This is the first new set of songs heard by Bon Iver in five years since their Grammy-winning album, Bon Iver, Bon Iver.
This new album is a dramatic shift from Bon Iver's previous acoustic heavy albums, For Emma, Forever Ago and Bon Iver, Bon Iver. Swapping out the guitar for a computer and soft vocals for voice altering methods, Justin Vernon reveals his desire to experiment as well the results of his collaboration with artists such as Kanye West and James Blake. Despite the experimentation and new sound, the raw, emotional tenderness Bon Iver's praised for was present in each song. Vernon described the new album as, "part love letter, part final resting place of two decades of self-understanding like a religion. And the inner-resolution of maybe never finding that understanding."
CREDIT: David Szymanski
Hearing the album played live for the first time at Eaux Claires, as festival created by Justin Vernon himself, in my and many others in attendance hometown was a unique experience. The pride and sense of community that pervaded the crowd was palpable. Something that is unique, not only to this festival but the town itself, is the encouragement of creativity and artistry. Vernon's aim for Eaux Claires was "to create a deeply meaningful experience of togetherness and expression." Mission accomplished.After a soulful journey through the ten track album, the group left the stage. The attendees immediately began buzzing about the new works among themselves as Bon Iver returned. "I wrote another short album, so I'm playing some old songs too", Vernon voiced. They played through a few bonafide Bon Iver classics, such as "Minnesota, WI", a revamped extended version of "Creature Fear". The Staves, a trio of talented harmonizers joined the group on "Beach Baby", while Bruce Hornsby made an appearance during, "Beth/Rest".
22, A Million Track List:
01. 22(OVER S∞∞N)
02. 10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠
03. 715 – CRΣΣKS
04. 33 “GOD”
05. 29 #Strafford APTS
06. 666 ʇ
07. 21 M♢♢N WATER
08. 8(circle)
09. ____45____
10. 00000 Million
For those not in attendance at the festival, Bon Iver released two of their new tracks, 22(OVER S∞∞N) and 10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠ on YouTube. The release of 22, A Million is set for September 30th, 2016.
