"For Emma, ​​Forever Ago" is a fantastically different debut, a brilliant masterpiece that could only be created in the originality of a hunting lodge in absolute solitude.

After his band DeYarmond Edison split, Justin Vernon moved to the Wisconsin woods in 2006 with little equipment. Some microphones, a baritone guitar, two drums, a horn, a reverb pedal and the incredible freedom for body and mind allowed him to create timeless songs. If you become aware of Justin's way of life during the recordings, you can feel the creation of the album. The shadow shapes of the forest that arise when the firewood flickers in the fireplace are reflected in the unsteady beats of the guitar parts; The crackling of the firewood sometimes creeps in on the tapes. You can also see a wintry shower in the charismatic voice. And what a voice! Certainly the voice of the year. Or any other year. Justin sings in a ghostly falsetto that takes the listener into an unknown, magical world of thoughts.

His sincere and soulful folk sound is a charming homage to the work of Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone and Prince.