Ive heard of Bon Iver quite some time before the country went mental (courtesy of Mr. Colin Murray) and everyone started loving them, so for the most part, Ive escaped the super-hype up about them.

This is one of the reasons why when I say that this is a good album, I really mean it. Away from all the pressures of the newly anointed Bon Iver fans, I plan to make my judgement.

For Emma, Forever Ago, is, I believe, one of the best albums I've listened to. It's just so heart-wrenchingly sad! You can really feel the isolation of the cold cabin that Justin Vernon has endured to make this what it is. This album really gets to me. Whenever I listen to this, I can feel the the cold, the snow, the nothingness all around.

The absolute beauty of this album is the simplicity. Tracks such as Lump Sum and Flume excert no demonstrations of technical manipulation. They are just songs, plain and simple, laid bare like the branches of the trees in the winter. In fact, the entire album is like that. Just a few overlaying vocals (well, alot in the case of The Wolves), maybe some drums and brass instruments, and of course, the guitar.

The lyrics are also sheer brilliance, though sometimes difficult to make out. "Only love is all maroon/ Blue in feathers on the flume/ Sky is womb and she's the moon" is a personal favourite, also "And I told you to be patient/ I told you to be kind/ I told you to be (belous?)/ I told you to fine"

There is just so much in this album. When I first got it, I couldnt stop listening to it. Now, several months down the line, I still listen to it all the time. I admit, it might not be to everyones tastes, and many wont really enjoy it as I have, but it is well worth trying out. This album could be the best that you've ever bought.