Bon Iver
Following the release of a new single from Bon Iver, here’s Getintothis’ Max Richardson with the details.
Once again, it seems we’ve been gifted with a new release from indie-folk icons Bon Iver.
PDLIF, an acronym for Please Don’t Live In Fear, marks the first release from the group since 2019’s superb LP i,i.
The track focuses on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, with all proceeds going to support health workers battling the virus.
Stylistically, the track is in a very similar vein to the recent works of the group, working with the more electronic style first introduced in 2016’s 22, A Million.
The track melds pianos with warped saxophones, topped with the signature croon of Justin Vernon, and incorporates a sample of the work of cult hero Alabaster dePlume.
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Interestingly, we’re teased with the prospect of further new music in the cover of the single, labelling the single as the pilot of ‘season five’ of Bon Iver.
PDLIF is certainly a long way from the days of Skinny Love, with the electronic soundscape of the track sure to polarise fans of the earlier works of the group.
Later on in the track, the wheels really do fall off, as we’re introduced to a 70s reminiscent clavinet sound and thick strings, all bathed in a fuzzy analog wash.
It’s nice to note that PDLIF was in fact recorded in isolation, with the individual musicians recording their parts remotely – reminding us that however much it may not feel like it, we’re all in this together.
As it stands, Bon Iver are still set for a live date at Manchester Arena in January 2021, in which fans will no doubt get the chance to hear PDLIF live, alongside other tracks from i,i.
Who knows, with a bit of luck – could this even mark the beginning of Bon Iver‘s ‘season five’, with optimistic fans perhaps able to look forward to a potential new album before then?
Only time will tell, but in the mean time, this is a hell of a start.
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