The Bon Iver Albums Ranked
Bon Iver has become synonymous with heady, perhaps pretentious folk pop, the kind pseudointellectuals and hipsters champion. But past all that, the project of frontman Justin Vernon actually turns out some incredible, atypical pop music, separated by years and musical inspirations. With the release of the group’s new album, I, I, I’ve decided to rank Bon Iver’s four albums. Shout out to their great four-track EP, BLOOD BANK (2009), as well.
#4–22, A MILLION (2016)
Favorite track: “8 (circle)”
Marking the major shift in Bon Iver’s sound, 22, A MILLION’s title and song names sure are insufferable. Like, “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄”? C’mon. But the insufferable naming conventions belie a creative fusion of electronic pop, synths, samples, and Vernon’s plaintive singing. The unconventional names do, however, fit Bon Iver’s most unconventional album; unconventional mostly because it doesn’t really have any songwriting hooks that reside below the surface of their other records. Collectively, 22, A MILLION is an interesting soundscape. But track by track? Not much jumps out to me, beyond “8 (circle),” the smoothest song on the record.
#3 — FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO (2007)
Favorite track: “Flume”
What is essentially Vernon’s debut and solo album put the songwriter on the map with a slow build into the cultivation of an ecclesiastical array of fans. FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO is indeed a defining release of the indie folk genre of the mid-2000s, and the story of Vernon’s solitude in the cabin in which he recorded the album is pretty incredible. The standout element of FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO, which led into and defines all of Bon Iver’s output, are the complex vocal arrangements. They’re a chorus of emotion over resonant instrumentals. But in hindsight, FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO feels much more experimental than the group’s best releases; its rawness served its impact but not necessarily my ability to enjoy singular tracks as much, as was the case with 22, A MILLION.
#2 — I, I (2019)
Favorite track: “iMi”
But that’s not the case with I, I, a continuation of the pop sound Bon Iver transitioned to with 22, A MILLION. That sound, however, is refined into greater pop hooks that elevate a couple of tracks to truly catchy status. “iMi” is the best of those, but “Hey Ma,” “U (Man Like),” and “Naeem” are also jam-worthy. Recency bias usually goes the other way for me (meaning it takes a while for a new release to grow on me), but after listening to I, I a few times, I’m convinced that it’s the truly bold (and more importantly, enjoyable) evolution of Bon Iver’s sound that 22, A MILLION was supposed to and was claimed to be.
#1 — BON IVER (2011)
Favorite track: “Perth”
The self-titled Bon Iver record, though, is the band’s great album. This is the great folk pop that was born out of a whole host of annoying bands. And BON IVER manages to be a unique artistic statement while managing to be listenable like the best, “common” pop songs. But writing pop music is hard, and Bon Iver manages to couch that difficulty within the further difficulty of making it sound unique. The best songs on the record eschew whimsical rambling for hard beats and uplifting energy. “Perth” represents that perfectly. It’s the kind of sound that relaxes and energizes simultaneously, which describes the best of Bon Iver’s work.
