Album of the Week – Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE (Staff Review)
Bon Iver return this week with SABLE, fABLE, the first full-length album from the group led by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon since 2019’s i,i. As the title suggests, the record builds on last year’s SABLE EP, bringing together those four previously released tracks with eight new ones to form an impressive whole. The band first rose to prominence with 2007’s For Emma, Forever Ago, a raw, emotionally charged indie-folk debut that earned widespread acclaim. This was followed by the expansive, genre-blending Bon Iver (2011), and then the more sonically adventurous 22, A Million (2016) and i,i (2019), which pushed the boundaries of their folk roots with fragmented structures, electronic textures, and experimental production. While stunning in execution, those records often demanded deeper listening and a patient ear.
With SABLE, fABLE, Bon Iver offers something of a return to the emotional clarity of their earlier work—particularly in the SABLE portion. These tracks lean into the band’s folk foundations, carrying the bare, vulnerable intimacy that defined their breakthrough sound. Songs like Things Behind Things Behind Things, S P E Y S I D E, and Awards Season stand out as some of Vernon’s most affecting singer-songwriter work to date. If SABLE is rooted in folk tradition, fABLE finds its footing in a middle ground between that intimacy and the experimental spirit of 22, A Million and i,i. More accessible than its two immediate predecessors, fABLE strikes a thoughtful balance that pairs emotional depth with innovative composition. Everything Is Peaceful Love is a standout and one of the most upbeat and joyous songs the band has ever released, it showcases Vernon’s signature falsetto at its sweetest, channeling a contemporary take on soul.
And soul runs deep through fABLE. There’s a special, devotional energy in the album’s strongest moments. Walk Home rides a slow funk rhythm, layering Vernon’s smooth vocals with warped, electronically manipulated harmonies that lend the track an off-kilter edge. Dijon guests on Day One, a deconstructed soul workout that feels both sacred and twisted, which along with From recalls the influence of artists like MK Gee, whose 2024 album Two Star and The Dream Police seems to be a significant inspiration. Other highlights include the spare, spacious R&B of I’ll Be There and the melancholic, dreamy If Only I Could Wait, featuring Danielle Haim. But perhaps the album’s most moving moment comes with its penultimate track, There’s A Rhythmn, a slow, contemplative piece that places Vernon’s voice close and reassuring in the mix, surrounded by jazzy textures and gentle pedal steel.
In many ways, SABLE, fABLE is a return to the Bon Iver we first fell in love with. Music that is emotionally raw, deeply felt, and just the right side of earnest. But it’s also something more, a subtle concept album and mood piece that reflects Vernon’s evolution as a songwriter, one whose gift for melody and unmatched vocal delivery continues to shine, now tempered by a decade of bold experimentation. Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE is OUT NOW on Indies Exclusive Black & Salmon Vinyl, Black Vinyl, CD & Cassette Tape.
