For Emma, Forever Ago

Infobox Album |
Name = For Emma, Forever Ago


Type = Album
Artist = Bon Iver
Released = flagicon|US February 19, 2008
flagicon|UK May 12, 2008
Recorded = Nov. 2006-Dec. 2007
Genre = Indie
Length = 37:19
Label = Jagjaguwar (US)
4AD (UK)
Producer = Justin Vernon
Reviews =
*AbsolutePunk.net (92%) [http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=315812 link]
*"Allmusic" Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:39fyxzyhldse~T1 link]
*"The A.V. Club" (A-) [http://www.avclub.com/content/music/bon_iver link]
*"Boston Globe" (favorable) [http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/11/30/a_new_voice_name_sound___and_success/ link]
*"CMJ" (favorable) [http://www.cmj.com/relay/?p=3446 link]
*"Wireless Bollinger" (83/100) [http://www.wirelessbollinger.com/content/view/1439/81/]
*"Delusions of Adequacy" (very favorable) [http://www.adequacy.net/review.php?reviewID=8382 link]
*"MOJO" Rating|5|5
*"New York Times" (favorable) [http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/1568/bon-iver/ link]
*"NOW Magazine" Rating|4|5 [http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/discs.cfm?content=161734 link]
*"Pitchfork Media" (8.1/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/45817-for-emma-forever-ago-devotion link]
*"PopMatters" (7/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/53418/bon-iver-for-emma-forever-ago/ link]
*"Spin Magazine" Rating|4|5 [http://digital.spin.com/spin/200803/ link]
*"Stylus Magazine" (B) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/bon-iver/for-emma-forever-ago.htm link]
*"Uncut" Rating|5|5
Last album =
This album = "For Emma, Forever Ago"
(2008)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate Cover
Type = album

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Lower caption = This is the original cover of the album, before it was redistributed by jagjaguwar

"For Emma, Forever Ago" is the first album from Wisconsin's Bon Iver. It was self-released in 2007 and received wider release on the Jagjaguwar label in February 2008 (and on the 4AD label in the UK in May 2008).

History and description

Following the break-up of his previous band DeYarmond Edison, Justin Vernon secluded himself to a cabin in northwestern Wisconsin for three months planning to "hibernate." Three months of solitude resulted in the creation of "For Emma, Forever Ago". "All of his personal trouble, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt that had been stock piled over the course of the past six years, was suddenly purged into the form of song." [http://www.ambledown.com/boniver_bio.html Bon Iver Bio ] ]

The record is entirely the creation of Justin Vernon, "despite its complexity, the record was created with nothing more than a few microphones and some aged recording equipment." The album was self-released in the fall of 2007 and quickly gained attention from various influential magazines like Pitchfork Media. In February 2008, the album was re-released through the Jagjaguwar label with a new album cover. In May 2008, 4AD picked the album up for release in the UK and Europe.

As a gift to fans, people who pre-ordered the re-release received a free Bon Iver poster, and people who downloaded the album from iTunes received a free bonus track, "Wisconsin." [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/48249-bon-iver-adds-bonuses-to-ifor-emmai Pitchfork: Bon Iver Adds Bonuses to For Emma ] ]

Reception

"For Emma, Forever Ago" was received very well by critics. It has an 89 rating on Metacritic, earning it the "Universal Acclaim" tag. [ [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/boniver/foremmaforeverago?q=bon%20iver Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago (2008): Reviews ] ] In an early review the influential online magazine Pitchfork Media rated it very favorably and "recommended" it, as well as including it in their list of the best albums of 2007 [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/45817-for-emma-forever-ago- For Emma, Forever Ago | Pitchfork ] ] . The New York Times called the record "irresistible." [ [http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/cmj-music-marathon-once-obscure-now-with-something-to-prove/ CMJ Music Marathon: Once Obscure, Now With Something to Prove - ArtsBeat - Arts - Music - Theater - TV - Movies - New York Times Blog ] ] May 2008's edition of the British music magazine MOJO rated the album five stars, and tagged it with the title "MOJO Instant Classic."

Criticisms of the album sometimes center around the audio quality of the album, pointing out that it's hard to make out words during certain parts of songs (though lyrics are included in the album's booklet). But these reviews often hope for better things: "If he relies just a little too much on the atmosphere and creaking spaces between notes filled by the character of the cabin in which he recorded, that's something that more recording, more songwriting will surely fill out." [ [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/53418/bon-iver-for-emma-forever-ago/ Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago - PopMatters Music Review ] ]

Track listing

# "Flume" - 3:39
# "Lump Sum" - 3:21
# "Skinny Love" - 3:59
# "The Wolves (Act I and II)" - 5:22
# "Blindsided" - 5:29
# "Creature Fear" - 3:06
# "Team" - 1:57
# "For Emma " - 3:41
# "Re: Stacks" - 6:41
# "Wisconsin" - 5:24 (iTunes-only bonus track)

"All tracks written by Justin Vernon"

ingles

* "Skinny Love" (digital download only) (April 28, 2008)
* "For Emma" (7" vinyl with the B-side "Wisconsin") (September 15, 2008)

Personnel

Justin Vernon: Vocals, Instruments

Chart performance

References