Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

The Wisconsin wilderness, the tales of spurned love and heartbreak, the unkempt beard and lack of whorish publicity-seeking... Bon Iver quickly became the music press’s darling when he emerged from his log cabin in 2008. Unlike many flash-in-the-pan acts, however, Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver had the substance to justify all of the sycophantic fawning they were suddenly provoking. Fragile, primitive and candid,For Emma, Forever Ago is a moving collection of song-suites that more than lived up to the subsequent hype. (Sheena Madden)