I, I Explained

I, I
Type:studio
Artist:Bon Iver
Cover:Bon Iver - I, I.png
Released:August 9, 2019
Studio:
Genre:
Length:39:34
Label:Jagjaguwar
Producer:
Prev Title:22, A Million
Prev Year:2016

I, I (stylized as i,i) is the fourth studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver. It was released track by track per hour on August 8, 2019; the intro only being available on the Bon Iver fan subreddit until August 9, when the album was released properly on all services, with a physical release to follow on August 30. The album was preceded by the singles "Hey, Ma" and "U (Man Like)", and the tracks "Faith" and "Jelmore" were released alongside the album pre-order.[1] I, I features contributions from James Blake, Aaron Dessner, Bruce Hornsby, Moses Sumney, and Channy Leaneagh, among others.[2] The album was nominated for Best Recording Package, Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, as well as Record of the Year for the song "Hey, Ma".

Background

The project was first teased during an Instagram Live broadcast by Justin Vernon's personal account, in which he revealed a snippet of the song previously known as "We Maddie Parry" (later shortened to "We") and showed a song list with working titles.[3] After the band's show at All Points East 2019, they premiered two new songs; U (Man Like) and Hey, Ma, which were released as singles the next day, as well as dates for the fall 2019 tour.[4] On July 11, they announced that their fourth album, "i,i" would be released on August 30 (later moved to August 9) and released the third and fourth singles, "Jelmore" and "Faith".[5] The band likened the album to the season of fall, with I, I completing a cycle that began with the "winter" of For Emma, Forever Ago (2007), followed by "the frenetic spring of Bon Iver, Bon Iver (2011), and the unhinged summer of 22, A Million (2016)".[6] Vernon additionally described the album as "very much like the most adult record, the most complete" and "more honest, generous work".[7] The album was recorded over an extended period of time at April Base in Wisconsin, and was completed at Sonic Ranch in Texas.[8] On July 31, 2019, the band released a documentary short called Bon Iver: Autumn, featuring Vernon and bandmates discussing the new album and aspects of the upcoming Autumn 2019 tour.[9] To promote the album, listening parties took place on August 7 in several countries.[10]

On August 8, without prior announcement, eight of the album's nine remaining songs were released digitally (one each hour) and the ninth, "Yi", was posted on Reddit.[11] This was followed by the band moving the album's digital release date three weeks forward to August 9, with the physical release on August 30.[12]

Music

A number of publications have considered its sound to be a merger of the musical elements of Bon Iver's previous three albums,[13] with Chris DeVille of Stereogum considering it the first of their albums "that sounds more familiar than new."[14] Its production includes acoustic guitars, horns, piano, synthesizers, woodwind, organ and interwoven voices along with "jittery electronics," "otherworldly beats, whispering brass and fragmentary structures."[15] [16] [17] Music journalists have noted its electronic and experimental features reminiscent of those found on 22, A Million, but note that it has been used more sparingly than on the aforementioned album, with DIY writer opining that it "[provides] the foundation for the record’s truly big moments."

Critical reception

I, I received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, I, I has an average score of 80 based on 33 reviews. Hannah Mylrea of NME gave the album a perfect score, considering it "pieced [...] in an impossibly intelligent way." DIY writer Ben Tipple also gave it full marks, dubbing it "an emotional tour-de-force that displays an unparalleled understanding of the power of music," further praising its "masterful delicacy" and sparing use of electronic experimentation.[18] Pitchfork awarded it the "Best New Music" accolade, with editor Matthew Strauss calling it the band's "most honest and forthright music ever"; he additionally noted Vernon's vocal performance, considering that he "sings with more texture and conviction than ever before." Damien Morris of The Observer hailed it as "complex and majestic," saying that "i,i spins a mesmerising web of superficially insubstantial yet intensely majestic music."

Some critics had their reservations. Chase McMullen of The 405 deemed the album underwhelming, considering it to be inferior to the band's previous work, he noted that they are "doing the things they know well," and that while "at times, this can work in i,i's favor, [...] it can feel a bit limited and complacent."[19] Ben Beaumont-Thomas named it Bon Iver's "first ever misfire" in his assessment for The Guardian, lamenting its "weak melodies and bad poetry." In a mixed review for The Independent, Jazz Monroe described it as an "exquisite album that is otherwise frustratingly apolitical."[20] Writing for No Depression, John Amen concluded, "i,i is, relatively speaking, a fine album. It may even end up being one of 2019’s notable sets. Still, it’s the least magical of Vernon’s tetralogy."[21]

Track listing

Samples

Personnel

Credits adapted from the band's official website.[22] Bon Iver

Featuring:

Worm Crew – horns

Additional musicians

Technical

Artwork and release

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[23] 97
Italian Albums (FIMI)[24] 54
Latvian Albums (LAIPA)[25] 13
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[26] 8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[27] 32
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[28] 11
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 29

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[30] 120
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[31] 32
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[32] 92

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bon Iver Announce New Album i,i, Share 2 New Songs: Listen. Pitchfork. Monroe. Jazz. July 11, 2019. July 11, 2019.
  2. News: Bon Iver Announces New Album 'i,i'. Clash. Murray. Robin. July 11, 2019. July 11, 2019.
  3. Web site: justin just played a new song on instagram, i caught some of it live. December 13, 2018.
  4. Web site: Bon Iver, All Points East review: A magnificent bookend to Justin Vernon's glitchy '22, A Million' era. Independent.co.uk. 3 June 2019.
  5. Web site: Lucid Design Concepts. Bon Iver. 25 March 2023.
  6. Web site: Bon Iver announce new album 'i,i'. DIY. July 11, 2019. July 11, 2019.
  7. Web site: Bon Iver enlist James Blake, Moses Sumney and more for new album, i,i. Fact. Bruce-Jones. Henry. July 11, 2019. July 11, 2019.
  8. Web site: New album 'I,I' – out August 30. Bon Iver. July 11, 2019. July 12, 2019.
  9. Web site: Bon Iver Releases Mini-Documentary About Upcoming Tour: Watch. July 31, 2019.
  10. Web site: Bon Iver announce i,i listening parties in London, New York and Europe. Crack Magazine. July 19, 2019. July 11, 2019.
  11. Web site: Bon Iver Are Releasing Their New Album, 'i,i,' A Few Weeks Early. Uproxx. Rossignol. Derrick. August 8, 2019. August 8, 2019.
  12. jagjaguwar. 1159484790053253120. Tonight, @boniver will release 'i,i' digitally around the globe. Find the songs here: (link: https://boniver.ffm.to/icommai) boniver.ffm.to/icommai #icommai. August 8, 2019. August 9, 2019.
  13. Web site: Bon Iver i,i. Exclaim!. Feibel. Adam. August 12, 2019. August 13, 2019.
  14. Web site: Premature Evaluation: Bon Iver i,i. Stereogum. DeVille. Chris. August 9, 2019. August 13, 2019.
  15. Web site: Bon Iver - i,i. Clash. Gallagher. Marianne. August 8, 2019. August 13, 2019.
  16. Web site: Bon Iver: i,i. American Songwriter. Beviglia. Jim. August 11, 2019. August 13, 2019.
  17. Web site: On record: Pop, rock and jazz, August 11. The Sunday Times. Davis. Clive. Cairns. Dan. Verrico. Lisa. Edwards. Mark. August 11, 2019. August 12, 2019. subscription.
  18. Web site: Bon Iver – i, i. DIY. Tipple. Ben. August 9, 2019. August 9, 2019.
  19. Web site: Review: Bon Iver stick to the doldrums of straightforward nostalgia on the still pleasant i,i. The 405. McMullen. Chase. August 12, 2019. August 9, 2019. August 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190812164644/https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/review/review-bon-iver-stick-to-the-duldroms-of-nostalgia-on-the-still-pleasant-i-i-156. dead.
  20. Web site: Bon Iver review, i,i: Immersive lullabies that crackle with nostalgia. The Independent. Monroe. Jazz. August 8, 2019. August 8, 2019.
  21. Web site: Bon Iver Revels in Beauty and Repetition. 2022-02-01. No Depression. en-US.
  22. Web site: Album Credits. Bon Iver. August 8, 2019.
  23. Web site: Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 36, 2019). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. fr. September 16, 2019.
  24. Web site: Album – Classifica settimanale WK 36 (dal 30.08.2019 al 05.09.2019). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. September 7, 2019.
  25. Web site: Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 33. nedēļa. lv. LAIPA. November 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191010115113/https://www.parmuziku.lv/muzikas-zinas/latvija/muzikas-paterina-tops-33-nedela-8095. October 10, 2019.
  26. Web site: Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100). lt. AGATA. August 16, 2019. December 2, 2019.
  27. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. September 9, 2019. September 7, 2019.
  28. Web site: Top 100 Albumes – Semana 36: del 30.8.2019 al 5.9.2019. Productores de Música de España. es. September 11, 2019.
  29. Web site: Veckolista Album, vecka 33. Sverigetopplistan. August 16, 2019.
  30. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2019. Ultratop. December 20, 2019.
  31. Independent Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. 2 January 2013. October 26, 2020.
  32. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. 2 January 2013. June 27, 2020.

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