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4.5 out of 5 stars

Bon Iver, 22, A Million ยฉ JagjaguwarBon Iver returns with the quirky, ambitiously brilliant single, โ€œ33 โ€˜GODโ€™.โ€ย  It provides a sneak peak of album 22, A Million.

Bon Iver, led byย  Justin Vernon, returns with single โ€œ33 โ€˜GODโ€™.โ€ โ€œ33 โ€˜GODโ€™โ€ provides the first sneak peek into the forthcoming album, 22, A Million. Judging by this quirky, oddly-titled single, 22, A Million โ€“ due September 30 โ€“ should be quite the trip.

โ€œ33 โ€˜Godโ€™โ€ opens with piano patch, complemented with samples and various patches. The piano carries a nice rhythmic groove, signifying pop and urban cues without being overtly either.ย  As always, Justin Vernonโ€™s voice is haunting. The timbre of his pipes is stunning and the vocals beautifully produced.ย  As always, Bon Iver does gimmicky and disjointedness well considering his eclectic musical tastes.


Notable Lyrics

The song itself is sort of mystical. It dabbles in romance, a potential hook-up, reminiscing back on younger days, and religion and the lack thereof. Numerous theme can be interpreted from a diverse set of lyrics.ย  The first signal of a budding romance is when Vernon sings,

โ€œIโ€™d be happy as hell, if you stayed for tea.โ€

He goes on to reminisce on younger days while suggesting spending time together builds a bond; a true relationship.

โ€œThis is how we grow now woman
A child ignored
These will just be places to me now.โ€

Other notable lyrics include, โ€œWe find God and religions too / Staying at the Ace Hotel.โ€ This particularly lyric arguably likens the potential relationship (or hook up) to spirituality.ย  Hence, this clearly triggers an agnostic/atheistic sentiment. Why? Many devout Christians wouldnโ€™t necessarily liken a human relationship to one with God, no matter how deep it is.ย  Regardless where Vernon stands spiritually, itโ€™s an awesome, thought-provoking lyric.

One final lyrical passage stands out:

โ€œI didnโ€™t need you that night
Not gonna need you anytime
Was gonna take it as it goes
I could go forward in the light
Well I better fold my clothes.โ€

It seems that things didnโ€™t work out within the potential relationship/hook-up narrative, and Vernon is moving on (โ€œWell I better fold my clothesโ€).


Final Thoughtsย 

โ€œ33 โ€˜Godโ€™โ€ is ย bizarre. Despite being difficult to pinpoint, itโ€™s brilliant at the same time. Ultimately, it’s quite different from any- and everything else thatโ€™s been released as of late.ย  It is well produced, ambitious, and definitely captivating.

4.5 out of 5 stars


Bon Iver โ€ข 22, A Million โ€ข Jagjaguwar โ€ข Release: 9.30.16
Photo Credit: JagJaguwar

 

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the musical hype

the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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