9/10
“Every little thing is love, and right with me,” Justin Vernon of Bon Iver sings, a mantra for the new chapter of life he’s entering.
Bon Iver’s latest studio album is made up of 2024 three-track EP SABLE, and a new nine-track project fABLE. SABLE, released in October, left fans puzzled by the missing second word after the comma. Bon Iver’s increased social media presence continued to stir rumors of more music following the EP, and Vernon announced the album on Valentine’s Day by premiering the music video for “Everything Is Peaceful Love.”
Bon Iver began as a solo project by Justin Vernon in 2006 and eventually grew to include a variety of band members and close musical collaborators. Still, SABLE, fABLE primarily showcases Vernon’s voice and surrounds his personal stories of growth.
This new project feels like the culmination of years of building pressure—the weight of fame and overwhelming anxiety Vernon has faced throughout his years as Bon Iver. The word “sable” connotes darkness, something that Vernon explores vulnerably throughout the project’s SABLE, section. When fABLE comes, that darkness begins to fade away.
Following a 12-second mysterious instrumental intro, Vernon questions how to move past feelings of desperation on “THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS.” He describes the way anxiety builds up on top of itself, singing, “I can’t go through the motions / How am I supposed to do this now?”
“S P E Y S I D E” features some of the project’s most intimate lyrics, written from what Vernon called “the guts of his guitar.” “What is wrong with me?” he cries with a guttural sadness that reflects the dark emotionality of his earlier acoustic work.
Vernon embraces life’s inevitable changes in the nearly a cappella “AWARDS SEASON,” singing, “You know what is great? / Nothing stays the same.” His stripped-back, reverberated vocals amplify a feeling of loneliness, but Vernon’s vocals also begin to sound less defeated and more hopeful. Vernon can’t shake thoughts of impermanence—“Why do things gotta change?” he asks, not shying away from the internal conflict that comes with change. A warm saxophone solo midway through the song signals a transition into the second part of the album, representing Vernon’s resilience and choice to move toward healing from his anxiety.
fABLE—the album’s second disc—takes on a more optimistic tone, opening with “Short Story,” a sonic representation of the seasons changing from winter into spring. Delicate, twinkling piano notes grow into luscious guitar strums, like flowers blooming for the first time. The strings slide gracefully into the electronic beat of “Everything is Peaceful Love,” a feel-good track with ascending vocal patterns and upbeat digital percussion that encapsulate the joy of healing.
Layered vocals from collaborators Flock of Dimes and Dijon on “Day One” help Vernon sing, “I don’t know who I am without ya.” One of the more experimental tracks on the album, the song’s Wurlitzer piano melodies are broken up with synthesizers to create a spiritual atmosphere. “I’ll Be There” is full of reassuring reminders that Vernon’s partner isn’t alone, with a soulful gospel sound created by organ chords and choir vocals. “It’s time that I do testify,” Vernon sings, even invoking religious imagery to intensify his dedication to his partner.
Vernon explores the joys and complexities of romance in the upbeat “Walk Home” and the introspective “If Only I Could Wait.” The former is home to some of Vernon’s most explicitly sensual lyrics to date: “Honey, I just want the taste / Uh, gimme right away.” On Instagram, Vernon described the latter as “a duet, a bilateral crying question: ‘How long can the two of us hang on to each other?’”
He pushes ahead in “There’s a Rhythm,” thinking about stepping away from the darkness mentioned on SABLE, as he sings, “There’s another chance to show / No need to crow no more.” Even though the darkness is never fully gone, illustrated by the black square on the album cover, Vernon is now in a better place where he is comfortable with uncertainty and can focus on joy.
The album comes to a close with “Au Revoir,” an instrumental lullaby with graceful piano and airy string harmonies, a beautiful outro to the album. It is rumored that this album is Bon Iver’s final piece of work, and if it is, it’s ending on a sweet note of metamorphosis.
