Finally, one of Wisconsin’s biggest musical exports is back in full force.
Bon Iver just released SABLE, fABLe, the band’s first album since 2019. It’s a direct continuation of last October’s three-song EP SABLE, which makes up the first disc of the new album. Justin Vernon, the architect behind the band, first garnered national acclaim with his 2007 album For Emma, Forever Ago, famously recorded in isolation for three winter months in a Wisconsin cabin.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Aside from touring his 2019 album i,i and making a few high-profile appearances on songs by Taylor Swift and Charli XCX, Vernon’s spent the past few years creatively quiet. With the new album, he’s out of the woodwork, salmon bagel collabs and basketball tournaments all.
SABLE, fABLe is billed as “Bon Iver’s next chapter: the epilogue.” It was primarily recorded at Vernon’s April Base studio outside Eau Claire, where Bon Iver has recorded everything since their 2011 self-titled album. According to a press release, the studio sat empty for years while being renovated. Fitting, because the two-part album itself sounds like a journey from dormancy to renewal.
Whereas the first disc’s songs return to the stripped-down folk that put Vernon on the map, the following nine songs incorporate more soft rock and R&B influences, as well as some of those lush electronic layers found on previous albums 22, A Million and i,i. And lyrically, Vernon is the most direct and unguarded he’s ever been.
Here are five takeaways we have after listening to SABLE, fABLe for the first time.
1. We’ve Missed Justin Vernon’s Voice
Oh, that sweet falsetto. How it’s such a soothing tonic for today’s world. Of course, we heard it in last year’s SABLE, but it takes another power when surrounded by full orchestration. That soaring chorus of “Everything is Peaceful Love”? Goosebumps. There is also little Auto-Tune here, aside from some background vocals, giving Vernon’s voice the sonic impression of sincerity.
2. Hearing the EP in Full Context
SABLE had Vernon confronting his fears, anxieties and mistakes after reaching a commercial and artistic apex – that much was clear hearing those three somber songs months ago. But the jubilation on disc two fABLe heightens the hope briefly found on “Speyside” (“But maybe you can still make a man from me”) and “Awards Season” (“Oh, but maybe things can change/What can wax can wane”). The twinkling piano and bright guitars on fABLe opener “Short Story,” paired with Vernon’s words about light shining and wounds healing, sound like a breath of fresh air and reinforces both sides of the album.
3. Back on Pedal Steel
In case you haven’t heard, pedal steel guitar is the hot trend in indie rock right now. While the melancholic instrument isn’t new to Bon Iver, their choice in bringing it back rides a similar wave as artists like Waxahatchee, Mitski, MJ Lenderman, Japanese Breakfast, Angel Olsen and more. Pedal steel plays a particularly outsized role on “Walk Home,” where its voice-like timbre adds to the sentimentality of a song about finding refuge at home with a lover.
4. Bon Iver’s Pop Album?
It seems like a little T-Swizzle rubbed off on Vernon. After two albums of splicing ethereal folk rock with glitches of electronic music and hip-hop, SABLE, fABLe has cut the noise for some of Bon Iver’s most direct pop songs to date. But they don’t sound like a step backwards. Instead, these familiar pop structures have revitalized Vernon’s songwriting, no longer dense and wandering but clear and inviting.
5. The Standouts
We’ve already mentioned the gleaming “Everything is Peaceful Love,” but there are a few other stunners, too. I’m partial to “From,” featuring iridescent guitar-playing from mk.gee, who released one of my favorite albums of 2024. That sounds pairs quite nicely with Vernon’s affectionate reassurances. Danielle Haim makes a warm, delightful appearance on “If Only I Could Wait” for a beautiful song about the uncertainties of an exciting new love. And closing pair “There’s A Rhythmn” (sic) and “Au Revoir” recalls the darkness from SABLE, now approached with optimism and newfound clarity. A press release says the songs pose a question for what the future holds: “a partner, new memories, maybe a family?” Well, if this is Vernon settling down, we’ve got nothing to worry about.
