Bon Iver

On their sophomore album, Bon Iver add just a touch of color to their stark indie folk, while retaining every bit of its intimacy. The haunting chill of solitude continues to cling to Justin Vernon's every word, even when his lilting falsetto radiates warmth over a rich bed of acoustic guitar, synths, and horns. The drama exudes from every little sound—the soft, pattering snare guiding "Perth," the delicate whirrs of sax on "Holocene," and the big, gleaming synths on '80s-esque noir jam "Beth / Rest."