Bon Iver Turns Over New Leaf with ‘SABLE, fABLE’

When you think of Bon Iver, one of the first words that may come to mind would be “melancholy.” The singer has experimented with all sorts of sounds, even genres, throughout his career— albums like For Emma, Forever Ago lean heavily into an indie folk feel, versus some of his others sound more like modern rock. However, that sorrowful throughline has remained. While, of course, no singer can be completely boxed into only having “sad” or “happy” songs, sadness is the overarching theme of Bon Iver’s discography. Until now.

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What’s this, a happy Bon Iver album, could it be? Ultimately, SABLE, fABLE is too nuanced to simply be called “happy,” but with this new record Justin Vernon makes a notable shift away from his previous mood, while holding onto his distinctive sound.

The album is separated into disc 1 and disc 2, with the disc 1 consisting of only the first four tracks that were also released in a 2024 EP titled SABLE. After the 12 second instrumental intro “...” comes the first full-length track, the reflective “THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS.” Vernon opens the album lyrically by singing “I would like the feeling / I would like the feeling / I would like the feeling gone,” and within a few lines’ cuts to the heart of the track: “I get caught looking in the mirror on the regular / What I see there resembles some competitor / I see things behind things behind things.” This latter set of lyrics encapsulates the all-consuming feeling that the singer is describing; here he is referencing a conflicting self-image, self-doubt, and alludes to a level of disconcerting depth within himself. These “things behind things behind things,” and later “rings within rings within rings” are the inevitable—but sometimes more prominent—layers that exist within all people. No one is ever simply one thing, and the things that happen in our lives shape us into who we are. The feeling that Vernon sings about here is universal, this realization that oneself is an accumulation of experiences—and he touches on how uncomfortable that realization can be.

“THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS” transitions smoothly into “S P E Y S I D E” both sonically and thematically. Another song that at its core is a self-reflection, this second track asks “Yeah, what is wrong with me?” and then claims “Man, I'm so sorry / I got the best of me.” Similarly to the previous track, Vernon is referring to a dissonance between one’s perception of themself, one’s actions, and who one desires to be, especially in that latter line “I got the best of me.”

Where “THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS” and “S P E Y S I D E” are blatant and straightforward in their messages, “AWARDS SEASON” is more metaphorical and subtle. Just the opening lines, “I can handle / Way more than I can handle,” leave room for interpretation and invite multiple meanings. On one hand, the singer could be admitting that too much is on his plate, and he is struggling. On the other hand, however, there is a power in this statement. As opposed to saying something more along the lines of “I am handling way more than I can handle,” he uses the word “can.” There is an agency and strength here; while the singer is perhaps being tasked with too much, he is capable of it. The final lyrics of the track, after much of the song has ruminated on both the beauty and pain of change, pave the way for the rest of the album and mark a closure of disc 1. In this last couplet, Vernon proclaims, “But you know what will stay? / Everything we've made.”

There is a clear separation between disc 1 and disc 2. Disc 1 is certainly a hard act to follow—not only is it cohesive, but the songs individually are excellent pieces. Notably, all of the songs on disc 1 are titled entirely in capital letters, whereas disc 2 follows a more traditional naming structure. This may be tied to the thematic shift between the two discs, where the first feels more urgent in its questions, the second is collected with its answers.

To open this new set, “Short Story” begins with a lilting, almost fantastical sounding melody of piano and strings. Then, the next song sums everything up in its title: “Everything Is Peaceful Love.” In this track, Vernon sings of acceptance and the welcoming of new energies into his life. This statement, that “everything is peaceful love,” is sweeping. Gone are the days of “Come on, skinny love, just last the year” or “And at once, I knew / I was not magnificent,” this new era of Bon Iver is calm and content. 

Carrying forward with contentment, the next track, “Walk Home” is a love song that expresses the desire to be and pleasure of being at home with a loved one.

“Day One” is one of the most distinct tracks on the entire album, featuring both Dijon and Flock of Dimes. With the line “I told you to be patient” it seems to be referencing one of his most well-known tracks, “Skinny Love,” which features the same lyric.

The following track, “From,” is also about love and acceptance, in this case in the form of giving one’s romantic partner space to parse out their own feelings. Vernon sings “Just take my love in your time” in the chorus, and then “No need to hurry / Give me your worry / We can just keep it here for now” expressing his patience and trust that things will work themselves out.

In this album, it is apparent that Bon Iver has put a lot of thought into the sequencing of tracks. After “From,” the first lines of “I’ll Be There” are “Said ‘I’ll be there’ / I won’t move, move.” These lines affirm the previous song, acting as reassurance to the subject that the singer is reliable and a constant grounding force.

A duet between Vernon and Danielle Haim (of the band HAIM), “If Only I Could Wait” keeps the momentum of the album, but provides some new layers to the musings on love and acceptance that we have seen thus far. Vernon himself stated via Instagram that the song’s central question was “How long can the two of us hang on to each other?” This song is the most clear reference to the struggles potentially outweighing the relationship.

The penultimate track, “There’s A Rhythmn,” is potentially one of the album’s best. With that quintessential Bon Iver sound, the track opens with a series of questions. These are ultimately answered in the lines at the end of the first verse (and subsequent chorus); “There's a rhythmn to reclaim / Get tall and walk away.” These two lines perhaps sum up the entire message of the album. If one can reclaim one’s rhythmn, find the ability to move forward yet carry the core parts of oneself, that is when peace is found.

The final track, solely instrumental, is aptly named: “Au Revoir.”