BON Iver ‘Bon Iver’
BY LISA WALTERS
Justin Vernon has returned from the woods. Since the release of his first album “For Emma, Forever Ago,” which he recorded alone in the woods of Wisconsin back in 2008, Vernon has found success with both listeners and critics.
However, to say that Vernon has “hit the mark,” with his new self-titled album “Bon Iver” is a bit of a stretch. Don’t get me wrong, this new album is amazing and worth much recognition. Yet, it didn’t quite reach to Vernon’s full potential. In particular, his track “Beth/Rest” seemed to come out of nowhere with a strange 80’s vintage synthesizer sound. Another track, “Hinnom, TX,” has a strange, almost Marvin Gaye quality about it.
Aside from a couple misfit tracks, I would definitely recommend this album to anyone who is looking for some new innovative and contemplative music. Who knows, maybe you can enjoy the vintage synthesizer and the Marvin Gaye tribute.
TALLY HALL ‘Good & Evil’
BY MICHAEL GUTSCHE
It’s Tally Hall. They’re great. More importantly, this time they have a far more consistent and smoothed-out feel to their album. The songwriting is excellent, and the music feels coherent with nothing terribly out of place.
The best word to describe this album is haunting. It has plenty of juxtaposition and harmonizing, giving a lot of weight to the initially playful-sounding vocals. The whole style is cheer and happiness, wrapped up in just the right amount of vocal distortion and abstraction of content.
OH LAND ‘Oh Land’
BY REBEKAH WICKS
Making the transition from “upbeat and free” summer to the “wind-down and focus” school year can be tough, especially with all the catchy summer anthems you heard on the radio still ringing in your ears. Oh Land’s newest self-titled album is a perfect aide to the transition. Their newest CD features tracks that range from get-up-and-dance tunes to remembrance ballads. There’s a splash of jungle beats and sounds of the city, mixed in with amazing vocals that have no trace of that horrendous invention called “auto-tune.” Oh Land’s sound is only beginning with this self-titled hit.