"Creature Fear"

My dad and I used to play this game, usually during long drives between the beach where we would surf and our home, where we would each take turns naming "perfect" albums.  Now the word "perfect," in this context, is not to be associated with its traditional definition.  We didn't mean "flawless."  Instead, a perfect album was one where every song is either: 1.) a song worth listening to outside the constraints of the album or 2.) a crucial building block to the structure of the album.  A lot of names would be tossed around: Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The White Stripes.  Bon Iver's debut album "For Emma, Forever Ago" is one of those albums.  Not only is every song wonderful on its own but the entire album flows with a perfect continuity.  Every song builds into the preceding song just the way it should. 

Normally songs like "Flume," "Lump Sum," or "Skinny Love" stand out the most from this album but today it was "Creature Fear" that got stuck in my head.  The way the song transitions from soft spoken vocals accompanied by a minimalistic guitar to a steady driving chorus is magic and makes my heart beat faster every time I hear it. 

I have been spending my summer in Oregon with my grandparents, trying to get away from my regular California life before going back to school, and during my time here I have felt a special kinship with this album.  Justin Vernon, Bon Iver front man, wrote the album holed up in a cabin in the cold Wisconsin woods during wintertime.  I am not trying to compare my experience to his by any means, my trip is significantly less drastic than his was, but in these dense Oregonian woods, reading, writing and playing guitar, I feel a shallow connection to "For Emma, Forever Ago."  Also, the fact that Bon Iver's self-titled sophomore album debuted while I was up here only makes that link feel stronger.

However or wherever you look at it, this is a great song from a great album.  I hope you enjoy it.

Here is a link to a video for Creature Fear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUghkqG8UGY

Today's Runner Up: "The Wolves (Act I and II)" - Bon Iver (it was just one of those days)

Here's a link to that one too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YgjZ4oPrj4