Something I appreciate about Bon Iver is that they refuse to stay within musical boundaries for the sake of mass appeal. Justin Vernon and co. do what they want, resulting in a unique sound that characterizes each of their albums. Each record is distinct, yet maintains the musical style and structure that has made Bon Iver stand out in the alternative/indie scene. This has never been more true than on i,i, the newest record from the Eau Claire, Wisconsin group. While clearly distinct and unique, the group pushes the boundaries of their sound while never straying too far from their historical ambiance.

My initial reaction to the record is that I like it more than 22, A Million, the previous record from the group. I liked that record a lot, but it fell short for me in a few ways. The first was that I felt too many songs were lacking an element of depth that I wanted them to have. The most glaring for me would be track three, 715 – CREEKS, which is an incredible mass of auto-tuned harmonies. I love when Justin autotunes his voice, as I find it sounds incredibly unique and complex (and works well as a rap sample!). However, this track is only auto-tuned vocals. While the song is incredibly catchy, a part of me wishes there was some sort of background instrumentation to round out the sound. This is something I think i,i does very well (which I will talk about in a moment). The second way I felt 22, A Million fell short was that is was incredibly glitchy. So much of the ambiance I loved about Bon Iver was lost in electronic noise that I felt took away from the overall power of the music. This is more of a preference, but it had an impact with how I listened to the album.

On this record, I feel that Bon Iver have created something that balances the ambiance of previous records with the electronic elements introduced in 22, A Million. For me, this is the record I was hoping for last time. i,i is incredibly beautiful, yet daring and experimental. The depth that I felt was lacking on parts of the previous record is felt in full here. On Faith, Vernon croons over electric guitar and synth alike, backed by an ambient drum track. This is the Bon Iver I have loved, beautifully packaged in a newer style. On Holyfields, the group once again gets ‘glitchy’, as pulsing ambient synths dictate the pace. But this time, string crescendos are also present, culminating in a beautiful climax. The electronic aspects accent the more melodic parts of the song, instead of taking away from them. There are several tracks I find lack the depth that I have come to love from Bon Iver. Overall, however, this album is deeper, more melodic, and in my opinion much more balanced.

Bon Iver have crafted an album that will set them apart from their indie peers. They have mastered the ability to combine ambient piano with harsh synths, glitchy electronics with beautiful strings and vocals. There is more structure here than in the previous album, and it benefits the finished product greatly. This is the Bon Iver album I have been waiting for, and I am very glad it is here.