It's that time of year again. For the leaves to crisp upon their branches, fragile and abandoned by their host. For seasonal depressive disorder, and vitamin D supplements. For Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. I always find myself treating winter like an enemy strike waiting to happen. I can see it coming in the distance, but I can't predict when it will come to pass, or with what force it will land.

In many ways, For Emma, Forever Ago is an album born of winter. Even the words "Bon Iver" are a play on the French for "good winter". It first fell upon my ears as snowfall, soft and quiet, but it was unexpected, and it settled in. The story behind its conception is practically indie mythology at this point; crippled by cold romance, protagonist Justin Vernon retreats to a secluded cabin in the dead of Wisconsin winter to pen one of the last decade's great albums.

How can we look at the present climate and claim that the culture of music is dead? Do we look at the brittle brown leaves of autumn and fear that all the trees have died? Winter feels eternal, but the good sense of experience tells us it will pass. It is the progression of time that determines a classic. We are a short-sighted kind, and can't often see through the winter to the coming spring. That said, I think Emma stands a reasonable chance of attaining the elusive status.

This album catapulted Justin Vernon to indie stardom overnight, from unknown DeYarmond Edison frontman to the most demanded collaborator in indie music. How many other indie folk artists has Kanye West invited to guest on his albums? His list of guest appearances and side projects is greater than the discographies of many artists who've been producing albums for decades.

Emma expresses the melancholy of parting in a mature and grounded way that can be appreciated by everyone who has seen a relationship come to a close. The beauty is in the sparse details; the tasteful hint of autotune in The Wolves (Act I & Act II), the soulful barking of the chorus in Skinny Love, or the resolute trumpets on the title track. Nuance and intimacy are where this album excels, depicting a cycle of mourning and resolve that offers warmth during the winters of all of our lives, literal or otherwise.