Bon Iver’s fourth album i,i is full of solid tracks we’ve come to expect from the band, but is also their first release that might make you think “let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Based on the trajectory of Bon Iver’s first three albums, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect their fourth album to be entirely electronic and experimental, more like Animal Collective than Sufjan Stevens or Fleet Foxes. After all, the act that started as “man exiles himself to a cabin with nothing but an acoustic guitar and sadness” (2007’s For Emma, Forever Ago) became “man gets backing band and keyboards” (2011’s Bon Iver, Bon Iver) and then “man’s band embraces unconventionality and synth effects” (2016’s 22, A Million). Bon Iver apparently had evolved well beyond its folky origins, back when frontman Justin Vernon was the sole member, and they seemed to be embracing more modern, inventive, and unorthodox sounds with each release.
Rather than continuing this progression, i,i is the first Bon Iver album that doesn’t overhaul the band’s sound. It has much of the same electronic (or should I say “folktronic”) trappings and glitch effects as 22, A Million, but you can occasionally hear bits of For Emma, Forever Ago’s simplicity, Bon Iver, Bon Iver’s lushness, and even Vernon’s sample-heavy side project Volcano Choir throughout. This familiarity makes it less immediately captivating than its predecessors, but i,i shows Bon Iver settling into a groove in which they have proven aptitude. In other words, I’d have to agree with Vernon when he stated i,i “feels very much like the most adult record, the most complete.”
Although i,i borrows elements from Bon Iver’s past releases, it’s far from a retread, as the album utilizes these techniques in new, innovative ways. The reverberating keyboard notes of “Holyfields” echo those from Bon Iver, Bon Iver’s “Hinnom, TX,” while the snare drumming of “Naeem” brings that album’s opening track “Perth” to mind. “Marion” is a folky, minimalist number that sounds like an outtake from For Emma, Forever Ago with cleaner production and touches of strings and horns. Likewise, “Faith” has acoustic guitar strumming and choir effects like “Lump Sum” on For Emma, Forever Ago, but the synthesizer effects that come in halfway through mark it solidly as “new Bon Iver.” Speaking of newer styles for the band, “Sh’diah” gives us a combination of the ambient synthesizer tones of “21 M◊◊N Water” and the horns of “8 (Circle)” from 22, A Million. The songwriting approaches on i,i might not contain anything truly unexpected after the band’s first three releases, but in exchange, the album comes off as more masterfully crafted and still feels fresh.
One of the biggest divisions between i,i and Bon Iver’s other albums is also one of the most subtle; Vernon forgoes his signature falsetto for his deeper, natural voice on a record number of tracks here. Interestingly enough, this makes parts of i,i sound more like Volcano Choir’s Repave, where Vernon also opted for his natural voice often, than anything Bon Iver has done. Hearing the clean and powerful vocal delivery on standout track “Hey, Ma” will give you flashbacks to “Byegone” on Repave, despite the differences in instrumentation between the two. For the first time, you can also clearly hear voices other than Vernon on some tracks, like the piano driven “U (Man Like)” where the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and singer-songwriter Moses Sumney make appearances. Digging deeper, I was surprised to find out there were over a dozen guest musicians involved with the album, mostly because I barely noticed them. It does have a maximalist production, especially compared to Bon Iver’s modest beginnings, but i,i doesn’t exactly sound like an effort that had both Dessner brothers from the National, James Blake, and dozens of others involved throughout.
When 22, A Million was released, I noted that “the album’s unconventional stylings are an asset, not a liability.” It’s hard to say the same about i,i, where its quirks come off as distracting rather than ingenious. For starters, you have to listen to a solid minute of strange noises on “Yi” and the opening of “iMi” in order for the album to really start in earnest. “We” is a brilliant song whose social commentary (“’I must defend it,’ oh, the tariffs hit you hard”) is undercut by dissonant chants and shouts in the background. The synths on “Jelmore” sound like they were plucked from a low budget sci-fi movie, and the contrast between Vernon’s steady vocals and the erratic instrumentals makes for an irritating listen. Maybe it’s because we heard this kind of flair better executed on 22, A Million, but i,i could have used a little less deliberate weirdness.
While it’s hard to walk away from i,i questioning Bon Iver’s talents, it’s harder to grasp the grand, ambitious visions behind it. For instance, the press release for i,i revealed the “concept” behind it as:
“The thirteen new songs on i,i complete a cycle: from the winter of For Emma, Forever Ago came the frenetic spring of Bon Iver, Bon Iver, and the unhinged summer of 22, A Million. Now, fall arrives early with i,i.”
You’re not alone if you listened to i,i and the thought “ah, this is clearly the autumn suite” never crossed your mind. Statements like these, combined with the album’s abstract title and aforementioned experimentation, do make the once-rustic Bon Iver come off as a little pretentious now. This isn’t to suggest that the impossible-to-type song titles of 22, A Million weren’t pretentious or that i,i is anything but a very good album, but its “you just don’t get it” vibe feels less deserved this time around. Bon Iver remains the cultural fixture that gave us collaborations with Kanye West and Bon Iverotica, and i,i is full of solid tracks we’ve come to expect from them. However, it’s also their first release that might make you think “let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Rating: 6.5/10
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