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Intimate and often surreal, full of sounds and noises coming from some distant land, "Unmap" is the latest creation of Justin "Bon Iver" Vernon, accompanied by the collective of sound experimenters called Collections Of Colonies Of Bees.
"Unmap" is an album rich in mystical and abstract sonic adventures pushed to the maximum. It stems from Vernon's sincere need to experiment with that idea of a choral falsetto that already appeared in the masterpiece "For Emma, Forever Ago". But it must be said that essentially "Unmap" comes even closer to the latest Bon Iver EP: "Blood Bank"; thanks certainly to the more marked presence in the latter of study and musical research.
The album is particularly active in the first half, with tracks in full crescendo like "Seeplymouth" (where the post Icelandic flavor is strongly felt) or the single "Island, Is" (pop flavor, full of Animal Collective-like loops, a disorienting track, in short). Then, afterwards, the record takes perhaps too experimental paths, almost incomprehensible, where only "Still" and the very Tom Waits-like ending of "Youlagy" try to restore some liveliness and candor.
"Unmap" ultimately presents itself as a series of contrasts between different yet parallel scenarios; being sometimes lively and fresh and other times tiring and stagnant, leaving the listener puzzled and lost. We cannot, however, say that it doesn't deserve merit, indeed, when did the combination of songwriting and experimentation ever yield poor results.
We only hope that this album is not a hiatus stop, but a valid and useful step for future musical releases. In fact, the album feels much like anticipation and preparation for who knows what other magic from our Justin Vernon.
Rating: 6.5
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By fiquata
They assemble music, they don’t play it, and therein lies the sense of Unmap.
"Sleepymouth", almost seven minutes of held breath, for fear of ruining the atmosphere.
