Song of the Day | “SPEYSIDE” by Bon Iver

“I know now that I can’t make good, how I wish I could,” Justin Vernon sings on the opening verse of “SPEYSIDE,” his latest single as Bon Iver. The line, like the stripped-back simplicity of the track’s production, echoes the sentiments of Vernon’s earliest work as Bon Iver, wherein the then-unknown multi-instrumentalist and producer holed up in a Eau Claire, Wisconsin cabin and emerged with the groundbreaking For Emma, Forever Ago.

In the 15-plus years since, Bon Iver’s music has grown in complexity and fidelity, even as it remained generally quiet, with Vernon, at times, seeming to run away from his more analog gifts – namely his inimitable voice and distinctive guitar playing. The first single from a forthcoming four-song release that’s described in a press release as a “reset” for Vernon, “SPEYSIDE” is about as close to “Skinny Love” as the artist has landed since 2007, and it serves as a reminder of what originally endeared him to such a wide audience. 

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Listen on: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music

All songs featured in our Song of the Day series can be found on our Fresh Squeeze Playlist and in rotation on our music discovery radio station, The Independent.