Can you make a supergroup with just two people? Big Red Machine says yes.
With Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National joining together for this new musical project, anticipation is understandably high. After all, these are two of the most versatile musicians out there today, their use of textures able to transport you to another place. Out of the songs Big Red Machine has released so far, we won’t be disappointed! “I Won’t Run From It” is probably one of the more straightforward tracks, but also one of the duo’s strongest.
The song brings the best of both their worlds. It’s an acoustic folk jam with spacey electronics hovering in the air. Vernon uses his full range here, moving in and out of his falsetto effortlessly as always. The backing vocals are heavenly, fitting alongside flashes of brass. “Took the morning to float/Took the morning to find/I got a vision of a mission but an awkward vibe,” Vernon sings, as Dessner plucks away next to him. It’s a song for floating in a lake as the sun comes up.
Big Red Machine is out on Aug. 31.