Track By Track: Bon Iver's Latest Singles

10 d E A T h b R E a s T

My least favorite of the new releases, “10 d E A T h b R E a s T” welcomes us into the evolution of Justin Vernon. This is a very new sound in comparison to the Bon Iver we all know and love. Selfishly, I miss the lullaby-like Vernon whose haunting ambience could soften the hardest of hearts. In great contrast, this track feels a bit like a war zone. It’s messy and muddy with little inserts of bliss here and there. It totally still works, though. It’s inviting us into a new era of Bon Iver, and I’m along for the ride.

22 (OVER S∞∞N)

“22 (OVER S∞∞N)” is the most familiar of the bunch. Although layered with scruffy crackles and squeaky, pitched vocals, the velvety guitars and dreamy saxophone take you right back to the perfection that was 2011’s “Bon Iver, Bon Iver.” Lyrically, Vernon appears to explore the idea of finality in crafting a seemingly innocent, yet sinister hook singing, “It might be over soon.” There is a longing and a questioning in its delivery that leaves you puzzled in wonder. It is both a graceful and a worrisome experience. Overall, “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” is a gorgeous piece that blossoms as it builds, and it leaves you wanting more in the end.

33 GOD

My personal favorite of the three releases thus far, “33 GOD” is an airy, all-over-the-place electronic adventure that plunges deep into the disarrayed mind that is Justin Vernon. The track opens with soft, almost Chris Martin-esque keys, quickly met by pitched chipmunk-y background vocals and Vernon’s signature falsetto. Instrumentally, the song flows in and out of heavy Yeezus-like drums and lush strings that completely juxtapose one another, yet work beautifully together in harmony. The lyrics hop around with no real sense of purpose; nevertheless moments of vulnerability are found in lines like, “I find God and religion too.” Quite suddenly, the track begins to feel like an unsure dream. The most evident conclusion to “33 GOD” is that Vernon still possesses the uncanny ability to make you feel as if you’re floating in a world in which he has personally crafted. It’s a tantalizing experience in which you can’t escape.

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