Volumes: One CD

VOLUMES ONE, the first nonstudio release from Bon Iver, captures 10 distinctive live performances, recorded between 2019 and 2023, showcasing Justin Vernon and his band at their most whole. Theres a warmth and exuberance across the album, as well as the sort of muscular sound you can really only get at a live show. For the uninitiated and diehards alike, these recordings could well be the defining versions of the tracks, no doubt made possible through the essential live engineering of Xandy Whitesel and performances from bandmates Jenn Wasner, Sean Carey, Michael Lewis, Matthew McCaughan, and Andrew Fitzpatrick.Vernon began working on VOLUMES ONE in 2020, and he spent a considerable amount of time combing through concerts to pull out the right songs to define Bon Iver. This is what we became, Vernon comments. This is really us at our best. This is it. VOLUMES ONE, as a result, is something greater than a compilation or live album. Its entirely new but still familiar, offering a prismatic look at an old friend, seeing them for who they were and who they are, all the goodness of which theyre capable but maybe too shy to show at times.With VOLUMES ONE, Vernon begins a new Bon Iver archival series that hes modeled after Bob Dylans iconic Bootleg Series and the everdelivering Neil Young Archives. The series will present the many eras and facets of Bon Iver, spanning live shows, demos, unreleased recordings, and more. This particular 10 songs is like, here, if youve never heard Bon Iver, or you have and you didnt like it, this might be for you, he says.Matthew Strauss