Bon Iver - S P E Y S I D E
Fall is afoot (despite record high temperatures) and though we are still in the early days of this year’s season, it is never too early to get into the autumnal mood. Whether that be decorating for Halloween (the store is open, after all!), pulling out your impressive arsenal of cable–knit sweaters, pouring a hot cup of chamomile, or visiting your local orchard for a mix of apples, pumpkins, and cozy vibes, we can all agree that the season of fall certainly has a specific style when it comes to music. Usually, those styles are found amongst alternative folk music through artists such as Fleet Foxes, Big Thief, Noah Kahan, Stephen Stills, Bob Dylan, and of course, the kings, Bon Iver.
What began as the solo musical project of Justin Vernon ultimately turned out to be a six piece band composed of Vernon (vocals, guitar), Sean Carey (drums, keyboards, vocals), Michael Lewis (vocals, baritone guitar, guitar, violin, saxophone), Matthew McCaughan (drums, bass, vocals), Andrew Fitzpatrick (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Jenn Wasner (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and though via direct translation the band’s name means “good winter”, their sound actually hits fall music right on the head. From the 2008 album For Emma, Forever Ago that put them on the map to their hit collaboration with St. Vincent titled Rosyln from the second Twilight movie, Bon Iver has consistently been a driving force amongst folk, alternative, and indie crowds due to their poetic approach at lyricism and Vernon’s angelic vocal style. With that being said, though, fans have been craving new music or at least a tour of sorts to no avail, as they haven’t released anything new since their 2020 single AUATC.
Many sadly assumed that this hiatus would be permanent given the band’s inactivity on the internet but the week of September 4th spun that around on its head, as they began teasing new work on their Instagram profile. Nobody was certain as to if it was going to be an album, an ep, a lone single, or something else entirely but once September 16th hit, they announced that a single titled S P E Y S I D E would be released that Friday which would become part of an upcoming four track EP titled SABLE. With S P E Y S I D E being their first work in over four years, listeners weren’t (and still are not) sure what to quite expect since much can change during a chunk of time that large so I took it upon myself to dive deep into this crumb of a new chapter for Bon Iver, and the last thing it did was disappoint.
S P E Y S I D E opens up with a warming medley of acoustic guitars, a Bon Iver signature, and it molds with Vernon’s undoubtedly seraphic vocals until further elements, a series of stringed instruments, joins the mix around the halfway mark. It’s a perfectly melancholic song that doesn’t shy away from its painful words, in fact, it embraces them. The lyrics reflect themes of self destruction and looking back on one's not-so-great actions throughout lines such as “Yeah, what is wrong with me? Man, I'm so sorry, I got the best of me. I really damn been on such a violent spree” . Furthermore, the song's words indicate the narrator’s desperation for redemption from someone who once had them on a good path in the past. This element is hinted at when Vernon sings “I know now that I can't make good. How I wish I could go back and put me where you stood” in the opening verse and “But maybe you can still make a man from me here on Speyside quay with what's left of me. As you live and breathe, really know now what had hold on me” in the song’s close.
S P E Y S I D E is a surefire sign that Bon Iver is sticking to their roots and not altering their sound for the sake of commercial success – that much is clear from the song’s intimate, abstract, and dreamlike qualities. The piece is a great way to get into that folk-infused earthy feeling that Autumn brings us and it’s also an extremely healing anthem for anyone who has regrets, which is surely most of us out there.
After the release of S P E Y S I D E, SABLE is scheduled to drop on October 18th via Jagjaguwar Records. As of publishing, no tour or other singles have been promoted or even teased online though fans are extremely hopeful that Bon Iver will play a few shows to market SABLE upon its release even if it isn’t a huge world tour like many artists have been showcasing in recent months. In the meantime, we have S P E Y S I D E, a song I implore you to check out even if you think folk just isn’t your thing because once upon a time, I thought the same.