The fifth full-length album by
Justin Vernon's
Bon Iver is something of a hybrid affair.
SABLE, fABLE includes the three songs from 2024's
Sable EP, which
Vernon made as a reentry to music after years away, and saw the singer stripping the
Bon Iver sound down from the complicated, electronic, and occasionally avant-garde leanings of the recent past to something more focused on his voice and words. The rest of the record -- eight songs and a short concluding instrumental -- come from later sessions where
Vernon built on this approach with slightly fuller arrangements that relied on elements of folk, country, and R&B while still foregrounding his voice. With guest appearances by
Danielle Haim,
Flock of Dimes, and
Dijon, and songwriting help from
Mk.gee and
Tobias Jesso, Jr.,
SABLE, fABLE is the most mainstream
Bon Iver record, which perhaps says more about how the mainstream has shifted more than it does about
Vernon's slightly altered approach. The cut-up R&B of "Day One" works thanks to good production by
Dijon and
Flock of Dimes' intense vocals, which spur
Vernon on to his finest performance here, while "If Only I Could Wait" features nice vocals from
Danielle Haim, loads of dubby atmosphere, and is the hookiest track by far. ~ Tim Sendra
.
