Music: Bon Iver – Calgary (mp3)

And so it begins. We finally get our first taste of Bon Iver’s sophomore long-player, Bon Iver, Bon Iver, the followup to the band’s universally loved and critically acclaimed debut. It comes in the form of “Calgary.” And guess what? It’s a little different. But guess what else? It’s pretty good!

For those that haven’t been paying attention to the band since the stark and empty-spaced For Emma days, “Calgary”s blips and beeps and overall increased production might feel a little jarring. And understandably so. I think the reason For Emma captured so many people’s hearts was because it did so much with so little. Every twangy guitar string and heart-wrenching falsetto was left out there in the open. Nothing to hide behind.

But for those who have been paying attention to Bon Iver principal Justin Vernon’s musical moves and collaborations over the past four years, this “new sound” probably feels pretty natural. The electro-R&B of Gayngs, the glitchy ambiance of Volcano Choir, and Kanye West collabos all pointed to a guy eager to get outside of his comfort zone. Although, with each new song and side-project, Vernon seems less and less like a singer-songwriter trying to get out of his comfort zone and more and more like a musician without one.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. This is just one song. Just a taste. And whether or not the vibe of “Calgary” is indicative of the rest of the album’s sound, well, we’ll just have to wait and see. But for the price of an e-mail, this first song is yours for the taking.

P.S. My name is Chris. I’m new here. I am flattered and honored to be a part of this. I’ll do my best not to disappoint.

Chris aims to expose viewers to some of the most legit tunes of the times, peeling back the layers of what’s relevant in current music events, with up-to-date posts of new artists and releases. Living in Chicago, Chris manages his own blog dedicated to new music releases, clips of new musicians, and announcements of upcoming shows at cool venues