i,i

The album was recorded over an extended period of time at April Base in Wisconsin, and was completed at Sonic Ranch in Texas. On July 31, 2019, the band released a documentary short called Bon Iver: Autumn, featuring Vernon and bandmates discussing the new album and aspects of the upcoming Autumn 2019 tour. To promote the album, listening parties took place on August 7 in several countries. On August 8, without prior announcement, eight of the album's nine remaining songs were released digitally (one each hour) and the ninth, "Yi", was posted on Reddit. This was followed by the band moving the album's digital release date three weeks forward to August 9. The physical release is still planned for August 30. Music I, I has been characterized as chamber folk album. A number of publications have considered its sound to be a merger of the musical elements of Bon Iver's previous three albums, with Chris DeVille of Stereogum considering it the first of their albums "that sounds more familiar than new." Its production includes acoustic guitars, horns, piano, synthesizers, woodwind, organ and interwoven voices along with "jittery electronics," "otherworldly beats, whispering brass and fragmentary structures." Music journalists have noted its electronic and experimental features reminiscent of those found on 22, A Million, but note that it has been used more sparingly than on the aforementioned album, with DIY writer opining that it " the foundation for the record’s truly big moments."