Bon Iver is the work of Justin Vernon. A year ago after breaking apart from his band DeYarmond Edison, Vernon went to his parents cabin in Wisconsin to hibernate for the Winter. However, his creative instincts could not be sedated. Vernon ended up writing and recording in marathon sessions. The result of which is a masterpiece called For Emma, Forever Ago. Read the full story here.

For Emma, Forever Ago is indeed a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. Nearly every song of love and loss tugs on the heartstrings. The album is characterized by simple strumming over lush layers of instrumentation. Vernon sings falsetto through the majority of the album–this proves especially emotive on tracks such as “The Wolves (Act 1 &2),” which builds to a brilliant crescendo. In addition to “The Wolves,” key tracks include “Flume,” “Creature Fear,” and the lead single “Skinny Love.”

Click here for a free download of Skinny Love.

Don’t be content with just the one track however, For Emma, Forever Ago is worth every penny of an iTunes purchase.

Also, give Bon Iver some love by being friends with him/them on Virb and MySpace.