He sings, “I’m still standing in/ Still standing in your need of prayer/The need of prayer,” which might not necessarily relate to religion, but a cry for help to abandon his problems. Vernon’s faithlessness continues through “666 upside down arrow,” where he fights off the inner demons that plague him every day. It also resembles a continuation of “Re: Stacks” or “Skinny Love.” Accompanied by his drummer Sean Carey, the song is a classic folk song with minimal distortion. “29 #Strafford APTS” might be the perfect track for day one Bon Iver fans.

The song is the first time Vernon uses single keys instead of chords to accompany the track. The lyrics “I didn’t need you that night/Not going to need you anytime” can be perceived in many different ways-lost love or loss of faith. Contrary to the face value of a religious track, Vernon delivers a song that allows the listener interpret freely. The next track, “33 God,” is a reference to the age in which Jesus Christ was crucified. As an added note, most likely not an accident, 715 happens to be the area code in Wisconsin where Vernon was born. The tone continues in “715-Creeks,” which sounds like a continuation of James Blake and Vernon’s track “Fall Creek Boys Choir” on Blake’s album “Enough Thunder.” The somber distortions mixed with aggressive lyrics question the substance of faith and love. Vernon’s issues with mortality are foreshadowed on the track with a resounding hymn, “It might be over soon.” Different pitches, melodies and samples flood the song, which sounds distorted at times but never loses the listener’s attention. The soft-spoken, hymn-like tune “22, Over Soon,” opens the album beautifully.

He abandons his traditional soft, tortured singing and radicalizes it with a new instrument called a Messina, which alters the voice by dividing a melody into different harmonies as heard on “715-Creeks” and “45.” Vernon takes away his rhythmic guitars and replaces them with samples of jazzy saxophones. This album features very little folk sounds, but instead uses synthetic and electronic tunes. The record is a piece of work that his indie folk fans can appreciate through its entirety and perception. Half a decade ago, Justin Vernon, better known as Bon Iver, stole the indie-folk stage with his singer-songwriter tunes from his sophomore self-titled album, “Bon Iver.” He was already making a name for himself as he captured audiences with a somber, coming-of-age record fueled by a bad breakup, “For Emma, Forever Ago,” featuring Bon Iver’s most popular song “Skinny Love.” Since then, Vernon took a five-year hiatus to live life and dive into what it truly means to be Bon Iver before releasing his third studio album, “22, a Million.”Ĭompared to his previous albums, “22, A Million” is a whole different animal.

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