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Country legend, Chet Atkins, was quoted, "Once you become predictable, no one's interested anymore." And predictability could have certainly been the case for Justin Vernon's latest self-titled release, Bon Iver. Thankfully, Vernon aspired to take a different route than he did on his critically acclaimed first album, "For Emma, Forever Ago." His intentional departure from the minimalist, stripped-down sound of "For Emma..." was mostly unexpected and - at the same time - entirely welcomed.

In contrast to "For Emma..." the new release embraces new, more synthetic sounds, glossy production and the addition of several new musicians. The result is 10 tracks, perfectly flowing in a journey across states and countries (as are indicated by his album titles), over mountains and valleys, through emotional highs and low. And the result is nothing short of transcendent.

While many fans were hoping (or expecting) an album similar to the first, Bon Iver has once again melted the hearts of listeners and critics alike. Even the downers over at Pitchfork gave the record one of the highest ratings ever.

Check out the video above for his unprecedented version of Holocene on Jimmy Fallon and if you care to share your thoughts on the record, I'd love to chat.