22, A Million

The evolution of Justin Vernon continues. It took a few plays for me to warm up to the highly processed sound, which was a clear departure from what could be reasonably expected on a standard career arc. There was a leap from For Emma to Bon Iver, Bon Iver, from the latter to this is probably a leap tenfold. Fortunately, beneath the machine is true warmth. This is my favorite album of 2016.

I find this music very refreshing and novel. Everything about it - composition, performance, arrangement and mix - are really excellent, intelligent and creative. I like his voice and songs, but the recording pushes the boundary of distressed, grungy audio in ways that are both interesting and fatiguing after a while. I would say (to the producer) 'tone it down a bit', but then the recording would stand out less. The songs and his voice don't need the ear-grabbing treatments. However, the artist is clearly creating new sounds (for me) and I really like that.

Ok... First listen, I thought Justin Vernon went off the deep. Second listen, I thought "that was better than the first listen." The 4th listen, he is on to something. 5th was, "this is a masterpiece "This album shows growth, all artists must grow. This album has not left my turntable. Easily one of my favorite albums of 2016. Soon could break into my top 100 of all time

I love this album, top 5 favorite albums I’ve ever listened to and I’ve heard a lot of music. Listen to this mans music, buy his music, and support him. However, I ordered this record from amazon and when I got it and gave it a listen, there were 5 scratches in the second song, and a scratch at the end of “666”. I promptly returned the record to amazon the next day and asked for another one to replace it. When I got the replacement record it had THE SAME scratches in the exact same places, I don’t know if this is a production error or what, but I’d hold off ordering it from amazon for the time being. I’m going to try one more time, and if it doesn’t have scratches, I will rewrite my review.

This album is an absolute masterpiece, but it needs to grow on you. It sounded like noise on the first few listens, but the songs are under the production and they are very strong. If you give this the chance to grow on you you'll come to love the moodiness of the production and the instrumentation (at least I sure did)

This album... just... seriously. I should hate it. I really should. I'm not a retro-glitch fan. In principle, I should hate all of the intentional sounds reminiscent of a warped cassette tape. But, instead, I love it. There is such a deep emotional strain running throughout this record, overlaid with textures and colors so rich.

I didn't like it much at first, as it's an obvious break from the Bon Iver norm (if there is such a thing), but saw them live shortly after buying the album then started to love it more and more every time I listen to it. It's a real slow burner. Highly Recommended.

I think it takes impressive persistence to fight the temptation to entertain, which I think Justin is trying to do given how well his other albums did. This one is different than the last, which was different than the last. If you're a Bon Iver fan you should get this album.

Is this music? Short answer. Maybe. Just. Bon Iver's 'For Emma, forever go' is a great album. There's great live Bon Iver performances to watch on YouTube. I'd pay to see him and his band live. Bon Iver is clearly a capable, engaging and original musician. But this is far from great. In my view this album is close to terrible. There's little rhythm, no melodies and no hooks. The main vocals are all processed and are virtually inaudible. Backing vocals frequently sound like Mickey Mouse. There's too much bass and the fills are sketchy and weak. I defy anyone to repeat any part of any track. It's completely unmemorable. How anyone can could give this album a five start review is beyond me. I suggest anyone tempted to buy this listens to it first. If you lived near me I'd give you my copy. As it is, I'll be standing my tea mug on it. I certainly won't be playing it again. Sorry Bon Iver.

Working from home has been a challenge and I've essentially had the 4 Bon Iver albums or repeat play on the headphones every day since March.The atmosphere of the music has allowed me to distance myself form the house activities and yet not distracted me from the heavy workload.Cant say the lyrics have resonated with me as I've been concentrating on the work at hand, but the soundscape has been fantastic.Each of the 4 albums are different in their own way but given time, each one stands up and is a development of the one that came before.

It seems to me that "22, A Million" is the brilliant result of a self-investigation process. If you're up to what Vernon was doing in between "Bon Iver, Bon Iver" and this album you can certainly see a build-up to this. It is mature and honest. A truly wonderful piece.I bought the cassette and the 'grainy' sound is just right for the album. Also, it came perfect despite the overseas shipping. This is quickly becoming one of my favourite albums and should definitely be given a chance.

I came across Bon Iver while streaming an indie station and wrote the name down I bought from Amazon next day what a treat its diferant from what I usually listen to but shows a great talent and for the Audiophile engineering is excellent. I will buy more of this chap respect

**WARNING** Not for the 'average-pop'.A brilliant piece of work by musicians exploring their creativity in new and different ways to the previous albums. This will be very much enjoyed by the people who choose to give it the time it deserves. Listen to it a lot, It's a grower and you'll hear something new each time.Worth every penny.