beauty in a wicked world.

"Bon Iver" is French for good winter. No wonder his album covers are photos involving snow. Bon Iver's album, For Emma, Forever Ago, is one of my top albums for 2008. If you STILL haven't listened to it, you need to get on that immediately. It is quite excellent. This week, his new EP, Blood Bank, was released. Although it is only four tracks long, I think it is a glimpse of what is to come, and I can't wait to see where he takes us. This album is very different from For Emma, Forever ago, but not in a bad way. He definitely focused on minimalism in his first album, but I'm glad his EP isn't just a continuation of that. Still, his music can almost put you in a trance. It is so calming and relaxing. This is the kind of music you listen to when you are sitting on your back porch, watching the sunset and waiting for the stars to appear.

The most intriguing song is Woods. Here are the lyrics:

I'm up in the woods
I'm down on my mind
I'm building a still
to slow down the time.

Yup, that's it. Put those lines on repeat, and you got it. Justin Vernon made use of the auto-tuner, but it isn't used to the point of annoyance. It is just beautiful and almost haunting. This song has sort of an Hide and Seek/Imogen Heap sound to it, except its a man singing. Kanye West would be proud. As far as the lyrics go, I think it is purely saying to slow down and enjoy your surroundings. We all get caught up in things, and life becomes just a blur. Take your time occasionally and just admire what is around you. Take the time to understand what is happening. Sometimes you have to wonder, what am I missing out on? The answers to that question are endless.