A seasonal cycle that begun with the solitary winter of For Emma, Forever Ago finally reaches its natural conclusion with the autumnal thaw of Bon Iver’s stunning fourth record, i,i. For an artist whose career has so far been defined by constant reinvention, Justin Vernon’s latest release is a chance to step back and pause, a rare moment to breath and survey the landscape, tying everything together with a subtle delicacy. The intimacy and humanity of his earlier work remains in tact, but it’s now buoyed by years of experimental tinkering and infused with a warm, generous beauty. Fragmented and impressionistic, i,i is a record governed by feeling rather than theme, its layered textures and cryptic lyrics housing seemingly infinite moments of harmonic, atmospheric and melodic brilliance.

Made with a revolving cast of collaborators that counts James Blake, Moses Sumney and Francis Starlite among them, Justin Vernon ends i,i worlds away from the isolated origin story of his Bon Iver project. i,i is something to behold; not only is it the most complete Bon Iver record, it represents the closing of a chapter, the culmination of an entire career. Rarely does an artist achieve such a finished and wholly rewarding discography.