#1 Bon Iver – ‘Bon Iver’

If you had told me before this year began that I would end up having the same favorite album as Paste & Pitchfork, there is a zero percent chance that I would have believed you. Serrrusly, ZERO percent.
But BEP universe, it has happened. Bon Iver has done it. He has managed to bring the “BIG 3″ in musical opinions together.

Yes my opinion is that important, shut up.

I wasn’t  immediately sold on this album when I first heard it. It’s pretty different from the excellent ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ album and just had so many – sounds. From weird synthy keyboard things to saxophones, to the record’s final track, ‘Beth/Rest’ that causes a slight ‘uh what’ squinty eyes/turny head reaction – it’s like a soundtrack to cheesy as hell 80s movie montage. I wasn’t as put off by all of this perceived Bon Iver change as some others were, but it was…different.

Luckily though, this record had gems like ‘Holocene’ (which is legit the best song of the year IMO), ‘Perth’, and ‘Calgary’ to occupy me until I totally came around on the album as a whole – and honestly, it didn’t take all that long for that to happen anyway.

Straight up guys, this album is amazing.
Any of the musical elements that may have been slightly off-putting initially have become nothing less than incredibly endearing soundscapes that serve as a perfect backdrop to Justin Vernon’s falsetto crooning. There is literally NOTHING I dislike about this album, and to this day, every time I listen it still feels fresh – which is a huge rarity since I listen to so much stuff during the year but a must if an album wants to rise through the ranks to hit the BEP number 1 spot.
Great album, great artwork, great videos, great lyrics, great music, great great great great great great.

So there you have it
The list has come to an end
Bon Iver is king!

‘Holocene’

‘Beth/Rest’

‘Towers’

‘Calgary’

[bye, i'll see you in 2012]