A few years back, suffering from the breakup blues in a cabin in Wisconsin, Justin Vernon picked up an acoustic guitar and made some music. The resulting album, For Emma, Forever Ago, was a huge international success. Round two finds Vernon in a very different environment. Roping in a swathe of guest artists from the alt (whatever) crowd, and using plenty of non-folky instrumentation, the new album is less raw than its predecessor but just as ethereal. If you’re prone to hiding the heartfelt stuff from your friends, this is one to tuck away.
