Five years since their self-titled album, Bon Iver’s third studio album “22, A Million,” delivers a beautifully evolved combination of acoustic instruments and electronica that bravely tells the harrowing journey of getting through hard times. Justin Vernon, singer-songwriter, took an unexpected turn towards the strange and bewildered, but it works. Among the glitchy, skeletal songs and haunting voices, “22, A Million,” digs deeper, pondering the existential.
The album opens with a high-pitched, wavy voice declaring that “It might be over soon.” The wailing mixture of synthesizer, sequencer, and sampler creates an almost magical blend of old and new, while the slow rhythm of the song opens the album flawlessly. Vernon chose to go in a different direction with “22, A Million,” using trumpets, saxophones, and drums to frame the songs, but what stands out most are the riveting synthesizers that are used in combination with the vocals, creating an interesting sound previously unexplored by Bon Iver. The songs are richly textured with various beats and melodies, as Vernon samples artists such as Mahalia Jackson and Stevie Nicks. “22, A Million,” really proves itself to be a work of instrumental genius. After a few listens, the sounds become more harmonic, verging on relaxing, in contrast to the lyrics of the album.
“22, A Million,” is an album about the confusion and difficulty of hard times as well as the process of getting through them. It tells stories of the hardships involving heartbreak, desperation, and faith. Through the hardships, Vernon expresses touches on religion in several of his songs. In the track “33 “GOD,” he asks “Why are you so far from saving me?” in reference to an excerpt from Psalm 22, questioning religious intent. The album captures the disorientation of hardship in such a fascinating manner that the listener cannot help but be captivated. In “666 ʇ,” the stunning emotional peaks of the song create soaring harmonies that seem to seep into the brain and paint an astonishing picture of human emotion. The last song of the album, “00000 Million” is striking in its evocative lyrics, conveying the painful acceptance of “If it harmed, it’s harmed me, it’ll harm, I let it in.” Bon Iver so eloquently captures the struggle of getting through hard times that it becomes hard not to mourn the nostalgic past along with Vernon.
The most extraordinary part of “22, A Million,” is, simply, how unique it is. Not only is it unlike any other studio album Bon Iver has released, “22, A Million” is unlike any album that anyone has ever released. This album truly feels singular in its ability to tap into the raw, honest emotions of hardship, making it worth much more than just one listen.