nina writes

Perhaps I’m biased because Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago is such a personal one to me, but it is one of my top albums. This might not be a typical review or critique, just my rambling thoughts all these years later. This album was the backdrop of a lovely summer spent with a dear friend and also of the mourning period following the death of that same friend. It holds a special place in my heart, as it reminds me so much of my late companion, who adored Bon Iver’s music to the very end. We spent days running precious Bon Iver vinyls on his record player while we sat in melancholic silence just absorbing the sounds.

For Emma, Forever Ago was written and recorded by Justin Vernon alone in his father’s remote cabin in north Wisconsin. He sought refuge in this cabin following an illness and a romantic breakup, and created one of the best indie albums to date. His solitude truly translates through the sounds he made and engages the listener into his musical catharsis. Vernon’s vocals are emotionally haunting and are in a category of their own, even to this day. His falsettos cut through the resonator guitar and evoke lingering emotion from the listener.

Skinny Love, in particular, is a cult favorite song and is mine too. The resonator guitar creeps in and instantly haunts you with its near-perfect chord progression and riffs. The strumming beats to a sad, slow rhythm and urges the listener to really feel for Vernon’s heartbreak in the moment. The guitar lingers in between verses and choruses, leaving the listener in anticipation for the feeling that’s to come next. Every falsetto is executed flawlessly in conjunction with the acoustic sounds that wrap around like an embrace. The song holds you and pulls you in closer, lingering like love’s ghost.

The album finally closes with For Emma and Re:Stacks. It finds finality with nearly uplifting horns of For Emma, marching in to reach the end. The guitar slides up and down, creating a wavy sound. As we reach the end of For Emma, it transitions to Re:Stacks, which introduces a sort of clarity. After the sad, long journey that was the album, the sounds reminisce on the memories.

The final line of the album rings on, concluding the music:

Your love will be safe with me

Since For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver has gone in a different direction musically but still maintains the stellar reputation Vernon started with For Emma. They use unique combinations of sounds to create an incredible landscape the listener can wade through. Still, For Emma remains my favorite next to the self-titled album, and with good reason. The raw acoustic nature of the album always reminds me of a time when I needed this particular music most. For Emma, Forever Ago may be nearly 20 years old, but it remains to be one of Bon Iver’s best works.

Listen to Skinny Love here: