With his 2009 release “Blood Bank”, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver perfectly recreated the wholesome sounds of his style, one which can’t be filed into one single genre. With its length of only four tracks and listening time of a mere 16 minutes, this album is one that I firmly believe everyone must experience at some point in their life, regardless of whether or not they enjoy indie folk.

The only way to recreate the feeling of listening to this EP for the first time would be to make your way to a secluded cabin during a snowstorm and warm yourself by the fire with a knit blanket around your shoulders while reflecting on your life and the choices you’ve made; perfect for our upcoming Minnesota winter. With it’s opening track “Blood Bank”, the listener is introduced to Vernon’s everlong desire for love, leaving them with that familiar warm, fuzzy feeling in their chest. The middle tracks, “Beach Baby” and “Babys”, fill the air with sounds of what can only be described as a longing for a place you’ve never been. The album draws to a quiet close with the acapella track “Woods.” This haunting track repeats the same few lines throughout the entirety of itself: “I’m up in the woods, I’m down on my mind. I’m building a still to slow down the time.” With Vernon’s strong crescendo adding voices one by one, the song is given the feeling of a mystic, eerie gospel choir.

All in all, this is an album that will leave your body battling between the chills and a certain kind of warmth. Good for either curling up on a cold winter’s evening or reminiscing days passed, the Blood Bank EP is surely one nobody should pass up the chance to listen to.