By Tyler Friedman ’17, Staff Writer 

After a five-year hiatus, Bon Iver is finally back with their third album, 22, A Million. This album has received widespread critical acclaim since its release on September 30, 2016. Justin Vernon, Bon Iver’s principal member, preceded the album’s release with two singles: “33 ‘GOD,’” and “22/10,” which contained extended versions of “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” and “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄.” (Fun fact: The single of “33 ‘GOD’” was released 33 days before the album’s release and is three minutes and 33 seconds long).

This album is a huge deviation from their usual soft, acoustic sound. 22, A Million is much more experimental than what Bon Iver’s fans are used to, but it works, and it works well. Throughout every track, there is a sense of darkness and emptiness. Vernon carefully and deliberately crafts the vocals, lyrics, and instruments to flows perfectly between songs. The album begins with the monotonous (but in the best way possible) opening of “22 (OVER S∞∞N),” where Vernon laments about the imminent ending of an unidentified “it.” The vocals on many of the songs, such as “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄,” and “8 (circle),” feature Bon Iver’s signature layered sound, just with heavier synthesizer effects. My personal favorite from the album is “29 #Strafford APTS,” but I also love how comprehensive the album is as a whole.

But how does NA feel about 22, A Million? When asked about her thoughts on the album, Julia Tarnow, ’17, said, “22, A Million is probably the most unique album I have ever listened to. Just like the title, the songs make little sense and seem to be all over the place, but after listening to it a couple times, I fell in love with it.” Although Julia’s positive review echoes a number of people in the NA community, some people don’t love the album as much. Danny Lifson, ’18, said, “The titles are unnecessary. The fact that he had an artist design the titles makes it even worse. The songs are overproduced, and the quality of music in this album is sub par at best.” Clearly, there are some opposing sides of how people feel about the album, but regardless of how you feel, it is definitely one-of-a-kind.