Placemaking is a catch-phrase too ‘oft used in economic development and urban planning circles. Each and every place on this lovely sphere should be unique unto itself and not simply “created” in a Dislandic marketing-style scheme. A sense of place must be merited, not fashioned out of thin air.

Capturing the essence of a place in one’s mind usually relies on the visual aspects – a snow-capped mountain range, a rugged coastline, a winding river, a vivid skyline, or perhaps a green valley. But, what about the resonance of a place? Is each location have its own harmony? Sonic aspects? Unique melody? Sound? To be honest, I have never thought about this urban sense except for how certain musical genre relate to their geography – i.e. New Orleans and jazz or Memphis and St. Louis and the blues.

The Eau Claire, Wisconsin based alternative/indie band Bon Iver, who’s name translates into “good winter,” have released their second full-length album. Nearly every song on the band’s new release is named after a place on Earth – “Perth;” “Calgary;” “Minnesota, WI;” and “Lisbon, Ohio,” for example. No doubt each had some sort of influence on the band’s lyricist, Justin Vernon.

The album opens to the soft, soothing imagery of a windswept marina in Perth, Australia and then proceeds to revel in a modern-day symphony of placemaking through the band’s artistry. Does it capture my personal image of each? Yes in some cases and no in others. But, does that really matter? For each dot on a map should have its own impact on each one of us individually – so no two persons reaction could (or should) be exactly alike.

To me, the track entitled “Perth” was spot on in my mind for its melodic portrayal of this far-off Shangri-la set aside the Indian Ocean that I have only visited in photographs, words, and silent dreams. For the song, “Calgary,” I am still trying to understand the band’s essence of this great front range metropolis in Western Canada. Calgary is a fantastic city, filled with many wonderful memories, but I haven’t quite been able to relate to those of Mr. Vernon yet. Does that mean I don’t like the song? Of course not.

What sounds personify the heart and soul of your community? For my birthplace of Indianapolis, the roar of powerful racing engines, the bounce of a basketballs on hardwood floors, and the flowing waters through Monument Circle’s decorative fountains all come to mind. For my adopted home of Greater Lansing, the unified chants of the Izzone, the rhythmic carillon bells of Beaumont Tower, the train whistles in the night, and the soft rustle of maple leaves in the fall would accurately reflect my sonic impressions of the region.

Bon Iver’s self-titled second album evokes so many amazing images, it becomes difficult to categorize their music, except to say it’s a melodic whisper to one’s soul. Others must like it too, considering it has garnered four Grammy nominations, including the prestigious record of the year and song of the year nominations for “Holocene.”

Here’s my favorite tracks on the new album, as well as the video for “Perth:”

“Perth”

“Holocene”

“Towers”

“Minnesota, WI”

“Calgary

UPDATE: – At times, the deluxe video (first one below) has cut out about midway through the song. I apologize if this has happened when you were watching it, as it seems to be an issue with YouTube. I have added another video of the song (though not as visually beautiful) just in case. Enjoy!