Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Revisiting this record on a grown-up stereo with a vivid memory of how this record shaped and sounded during heartbreaks - I can only comment that this pressing is flawless. Nothing is missing, it hits exactly with the heaviness that this new EP released today implies.

I would guess that the copies that sound bad are later pressings, as it seems Jagjaguwar, or rather the pressing plant they used, kept using the same lacquer to make new stampers over and over for several years (as all copies have the exact same matrix etchings, they definitely didn't press +30.000 records all at once). You obviously shouldn't do this as the lacquer, or stamper, will eventually get worn, resulting is lesser sounding records, simply put.

Other labels like Merge, Drag City and Secretly Canadan seem to do/have done this a lot too, press way way waaay too many copies of some of their more popular albums without cutting a new lacquer.

Unfortunately this also makes it impossible to know if you're buying an early or more recent pressing without listening to it as they all look exactly the same up until Jagjaguwar switched pressing plant to (the infamous) GZ.
My copy, which I bought shortly after release, sounds great, btw, though you gotta keep in mind this isn't exactly a hi-fi recording to begin with.

So good. This album is a really good one for enjoying your stereo system and just immersing yourself into the moody sounds. A great record for sure.

Oh so this is the album where Flume got his name from, neat!

My copy sounds pretty damn good. I gave it a couple spin cleans and it’s sounds great - zero pops or audible surface noise on either side. Dead quiet vinyl with good dynamics.

The ones complaining about surface noise and pops, are you properly cleaning your vinyl? I’ve been spin cleaning all my vinyl on arrival and it’s made a world of difference during playback.

Invited to follow a man swimming into his own sorrow and emerging back to reality by the end, Justin Vernon's work in this classic folk album achieves timeless and relatable heartache with harsh lyrics about meeting the bottom but being able to recover from it.

There's a a lot of surface noise at the beginning of both sides, but it gets a bit better later on.

I feel sorry for those with the bad pressing, my copy is perfect. Mine has no static and plays beautifully. Skinny love is amazing!

This is the best indie-folk album I’ve ever heard. The guitar is beautifully played, the songwriting is wonderful, and the vocals are deeply original.

Loud noise floor, lots of ticks and pops...what a shame.