Bon Iver
“Blood Bank”
Jagjaguwar

4 out of 5 Stars

In 2008, no album came close to the emotional palpability of Bon Iver’s debut, For Emma, Forever Ago. “Blood Bank,” the EP's title track, finds the one-time recluse trading his acoustic guitar for an electric and his stripped-down aesthetic for a more full-band sound. Still, no passion is lost in the transition. The song retains everything that made For Emma: wintry imagery, soothing melodies and a vague sense of redemption. It starts off familiar, gentle and inviting, and slowly builds to a climax of feedback and falsetto. If this is the sound of things to come, it should be another very good year for Justin Vernon.