James Blake & Bon Iver - Fall Creek Boys Choir (Atlas)
4/5
By: Stan Morgan
Well this came out of nowhere… James Blake and Bon Iver, two of the most exciting artists around, and the people behind two of 2011’s best albums have come together and made a musical baby, and she’s a beauty.
The collaboration sees Bon Iver on vocal duties and Blake behind the production, which seems like a sensible way round to have them, although a collaboration the other way around would probably be equally as interesting.
Blake manipulates Justin Vernon’s vocals in his typical way, cutting and re-jigging them into parts that sometimes resemble a monstrous growl, and at other times sound more like a modem connecting to the internet. The backing is provided by a mixture of Blake’s signature synth sound and a heavily treated piano, coupled with sparse percussion that lies somewhere between the bass-heavy reverb drops of Blake’s work and the Phil Collins-esque drums of Bon Iver’s latest album. Together the two elements are weaved into a song that at its core is a straight forward melancholic ballad, but presented in such a way that it’s almost unrecognisable as any currently existing genre.
The long-distance collaboration seems like a one-off at the moment, although there are rumours of a new James Blake release in October, but the chances of Justin Vernon being involved are unlikely. As a stand-alone song, ‘Fall Creek Boys Choir’ lacks the context that would make it a great track had it been accompanied by others, but as an unexpected treat it’s up there with the best.
James Blake & Bon Iver - Fall Creek Choir Boys [Polydor] by frankyboy
Artists in this article: James Blake, Bon Iver
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