I, I

by Bon Iver

Overview

After the fractured electronic textures of Bon Iver's 2016 album 22, A Million successfully took the project to the outer limits of where their sound could go, Justin Vernon pulled back from the edges of the avant-garde for something more familiar and less jaggedly experimental on 2019's I,I. With the help of a skilled cast of musicians robust enough to field five baseball teams and then some, Vernon uses every color in his paint box in crafting a record that takes in all the elements of past records and swirls them into something somber, expressive, intimate, and expansive all at the same time. The songs are built on convoluted rhythms and subtle washes of synths with stabs of horns and massed vocals surrounding Vernon's tortured wail and mumbled ramblings. Some of the tracks lean more in the direction of the small-scale electronic explorations of 22, A Million, with Vernon zeroing in on a tender feeling and transmitting it faithfully. Featuring the smooth vocals of Velvet Negroni, "iMi" is late-night R&B twisted into a heartbreaking knot, and "Marion" is an expanded take on the backwoods sound of early Bon Iver, with gentle strings caressing the melody. These quiet, intricate arrangements provide the perfect backing for Vernon's poetic lyrics and restrained vocals. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	08/30/2019
Label:	JAGJAGUWAR
UPC:	0656605235011

Tracks

1. Yi
2. iMi
3. We
4. Holyfields
5. Hey, Ma
6. U (Man Like)
7. Naeem
8. Jelmore
9. Faith
10. Marion
11. Salem
12. Sh'Diah
13. RABi

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bon Iver   Primary Artist
Tim O'Brien   Primary Artist
Velvet Negroni   Primary Artist
Aaron Dessner   Piano,Guitar
Bryce Dessner   Choir/Chorus
Sean Carey   Drums,Piano,Voices
Michael Lewis   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor),Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Sax (Soprano)
Jeremy Ylvisaker   Guitar (Electric)
Rob Moose   Piano,Viola,Violin,Strings,Conductor,Featured Artist
Bruce Hornsby   Piano,Voices
Ben Lester   Piano (Electric)
Justin Vernon   Bass,Radio,Guitar,Voices,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Oberheim Synthesizer
Tim Albright   Trombone
Joe Westerlund   Shaker
Randy Pingrey   Trombone
Matt McCaughan   Drums,Synthesizer
Hideaki Aomori   Clarinet,Sax (Alto)
Jenn Wasner   Guitar,Voices,Synthesizer,Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist
Carmen Camerieri   Trumpet,Flugelhorn,French Horn
Brooklyn Youth Chorus   Choir/Chorus
Brad Cook   Bass,Omnichord,Synthesizer
Chris Messina   Trumpet,Synthesizer
James Blake   Vocals,Prophet 600
BJ Burton   Rhythm
Mike Noyce   Vocals
Brian Moen   Drums
Zach Hanson   Juno,Piano,Keyboards
Camilla Staveley-Taylor   Vocals
Ross Garren   Harmonica
Andrew Fitzpatrick   Guitar,Synthesizer
Phil Cook   Piano,Voices
Buddy Ross   Piano,Trumpet,Wurlitzer,Synthesizer
Graham Tolbert   Voices
Joe Rainey, Sr.   Vocals
Francis Farewell Starlite   Rhythm
Jeremy Nutzman   Vocals
Trever Hagen   Trumpet
Moses Sumney   Voices
Jake Luppen   Guitar
Psymun   Sampling
Sad Sax of Shit   Saxophone
JT Bates   Drums
Christian Warner   Voices
Elsa Jensen   Voices
Michael Migizi Sullivan, Sr.   Vocals
Toni Pierce-Sands   Clapping
Worm Crew   Horn

Technical Credits

Andrew Broder   Composer
Sean Carey   Composer,Group Member
Aaron Anderson   Artwork,Direction,Sound Crew
Greg Calbi   Mastering
Wayne Pooley   Engineer
Michael Lewis   Group Member
Rob Moose   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Group Member,String Arrangements
Bruce Hornsby   Composer
Noah Goldstein   Composer,Engineer,Programming
Justin Vernon   Producer,Group Member
Matt McCaughan   Group Member
Ryan Olson   Composer,Additional Production
Alli Rogers   Assistant Engineer
Mike Lewis   Composer
Josh Berg   Composer,Engineer
Naeem Juwan   Composer
Jenn Wasner   Group Member
Brad Cook   Composer,Producer,Sound Crew
Chris Messina   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Sound Crew
James Blake   Composer
BJ Burton   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Additional Production
Mike Noyce   Composer
Zach Hanson   Engineer
Camilla Staveley-Taylor   Composer,Vocal Effect
Andrew Fitzpatrick   Group Member
Eric Timothy Carlson   Artwork,Direction,Sound Crew
Phil Cook   Composer
Buddy Ross   Composer,Producer
Graham Tolbert   Sound Crew,Photography
Joe Rainey, Sr.   Musician
Gerardo "Jerry" Ordonez   Mixing,Assistant Engineer
Bella Blasko   Engineer
Channy Leaneagh   Composer
Francis Farewell Starlite   Composer
Jeremy Nutzman   Composer
Andrew Sarlo   Composer,Engineer,Additional Production
Jacob Lewis   Dancer
Trever Hagen   Slides,Sounds,Composer,Engineer,Background Noise,Additional Production
Marta Salogni   Engineer
Wesley Glass   Composer,Programming,Drum Programming,Additional Production
Zac Hernandez   Mixing,Assistant Engineer
JT Bates   Composer
Alexander Pham   Dancer
Alexis Staley   Dancer
Andra Chumas   Executive Producer
Cherie Minske   Crew
Christian Warner   Dancer
Randall Riley   Dancer
Taylor Collier   Dancer
TU Dance   Additional Production
Worm Crew   Arranger