Every record comes out of a specific time and place, but that's more true of this one than most. At the end of 2006, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon spent 3 months alone in a log cabin in Northern Wisconsin, seeking silence, simplicity and solitude. The intention was to fill the time with physical chores - splitting wood, gathering food - but out of this period of isolation and contemplation, music started to emerge. The unexpected, triumphant result was an album of singular beauty. These songs transcend the limited means - a couple of microphones, a baritone guitar, two drums, a horn and a reverb pedal - that Vernon had at his disposal. They unfurl with the quiet force of Spring, expanding beyond their hushed beginnings, throwing off vibrant colours.
