When Bon Iver releases a new album, it’s one of those moments where everything else fades into the background — the world slows down, and you just listen
For The Vanns, who’ve had Justin Vernon’s work in their ears since the early days, SABLE, fABLE is a big one.
These guys aren’t just fans though – they’re seasoned musos in their own right. Their second studio album Last Of Your Kind landed in May 2023 and debuted at #8 on the ARIA Charts, riding high on a wave of big choruses and heartfelt songwriting. A few years back, they even took on Bon Iver’s Hey Ma for triple j’s Like A Version – a cover that still sits pretty close to the heart.
So, with Bon Iver’s first album in six years finally here, The Vanns took a moment to jot down their thoughts – not as critics, just as long-time admirers.
As a longtime Bon Iver fan, the announcement of a new album on the way is always an exciting moment. You can try to crack the code in the pre-release social media content to figure out what, if any, the common theme of the album will be, or you can buy a salmon-coloured shirt with a photo of salmon on it and hedge your bets. All decoding and salmon aside, one thing I can confidently say after a few listens through Sable, Fable is this: I reckon you’ll dig it.
You may, as I did, imagine the album would follow a similar production style to its precursor EP Sable, reminiscent of Bon Iver’s haunting debut, For Emma, Forever Ago (2007), or the atmospheric Blood Bank (2009). But what would a Bon Iver album be without an unexpected twist?
While the first three tracks are the Sable EP verbatim, by the time the song Short Story comes along, you can really feel the album shift gears before leading into the remarkably groovy single Everything Is Peaceful Love, followed by the distorted, loping drum beat that drives what I would consider the “Justin Vernon at his most Frank Ocean-y” song on the album, Walk Home.
Sable, Fable also features collaborations that take the album to new heights. Dijon and Flock of Dimes make an appearance on the lush Day One, a track led by a hypnotic piano loop and glitchy samples, while If Only I Could Wait features the ethereal voice of Danielle Haim, adding an extra layer of depth to the album’s already rich sonic landscape.
A personal favourite for me, and somewhat of a new sound direction for Bon Iver, is the song From, which has a driving-down-the-highway-at-sunset, Tom Petty-esque mood to it – exactly the kind of mood I want to perpetually be in.
As Sable, Fable draws to a close, it’s clear this album is more than just a collection of songs; it’s a journey. There’s A Rhythm closes out the album with a slower, meditative energy that feels like the perfect way to wind things down, while the final track, Au Revoir, is the sonic equivalent of a gentle hand guiding you out of the experience – a soft landing, if you will.
All in all, Sable, Fable is a stunning addition to Bon Iver’s already legendary discography. It’s vibrant, it’s experimental, and it takes you places you didn’t expect to go but are very glad you did.
