Big Red Machine: How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? (2021)

Big Red Machine is a side project from Aaron Dessner of the National and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. They've released a pair of full-lengthers to date, both firmly in the "freak folk" genre (if that's even a thing). If you're a fan of either of those bands (particularly Bon Iver), this one is pretty essential, one of my favorite releases from last year; but even if you're enmeshed in the scene, it's a gorgeous, pastoral album of soothing contemporary folk/Americana music that's hard not to enjoy....