Bon Iver returns with their fifth record SABLE fABLE, offering an epilogue brimming with raw emotion and unexpected optimism.
Featuring Danielle Haim, Dijon and Flock of Dimes, Bon Iver really excel on this record when frontman Justin Vernon bounces off a musical partner.
The first three tracks of the LP were released as the SABLE EP last autumn. Where SABLE was a study of reflection taken in solitude, fABLE offers a groovier sound, with the lyrics sharing a brighter worldview to perfectly balance moments of introspection with hope. When they muse on rough times, they don’t get drawn into despondency, showcasing the collectives’ songwriting expertise.
‘Everything is Peaceful Love’ is one of the most experimental songs on the project, where the sonic risk taken by the band pays off. They draw the listener outside of the introspective shell they had been cocooned in at the start of the LP, thrusting them into a sunnier soundscape.
The groove continues into the song ‘From’, which recaptures the listener’s interest nearly half an hour into the SABLE fABLE’s run-time. “Don’t let it trouble your mind,” Vernon sings. “Just take my love and your time,” as a gorgeous rhythmic beat compliments Vernon’s trademark husky vocals.
Predominantly produced and recorded in snowy Wisconsin, SABLE fABLE – Vernon has said himself – is a place “for truth laid bare.” Bon Iver’s brave vulnerability explored on past projects For Emma, Forever Ago is part of the band’s appeal, and that is not lost on this new record.
Quieter moments are dispersed throughout the record, with the album ending on a surprisingly still note, courtesy of ‘Au Revoir’. After taking the listener through the full emotional spectrum, it feels like a dull ending to an otherwise lively record. It’s a closing statement which makes for a lacklustre finale for the record where SABLE fABLE‘s penultimate track, ‘There’s a Rhythmn’, would have been a stronger send off.
featured image: Graham Tolbert
