“I know now that I can’t make good” was a startling first line back from Justin Vernon. Five years separated him from 2019’s i, i and the fatigue that settled within him during its touring cycle, and that meant opening Bon Iver’s book back up by shutting some self-deceptions down. This fall, Vernon unveiled “Sable”, a three-song EP written, produced and released under the Bon Iver name and a brilliant callback to the “For Emma, Forever Ago” era.
On “S P E Y S I D E,” he admits “nothing’s really happened like [he] thought it would.” Not in the interim between releases, but in general. He “can’t rest on no dynasty,” the future’s been incinerated from his “violent spree,” even his lyrics (or grievances, depending on how you interpret the word “book”) are a “waste of wood.” The track tells the tale of regret, guilt, and the shame of faded dreams. Yet, accompanied by minimalistic instrumentation and a gentle tenor, Vernon pleads for a shot at redemption:
“Maybe you can still make a man from me / Here on Speyside quay / With what’s left of me.” On “Things Behind Things Behind Things” and “Awards Season,” we get a more matured Justin Vernon, a writer content with the slow reward of regrowth after a period of endless endings. The EP is a celebration of a name growing from one voice to many, as Vernon worked with Jim-E Stack and Rob Moose to bring them to fruition. It’s some of the strongest work he’s ever made.
The three songs that comprise Bon Iver’s new record “Sable”, emerged from a long-gestating breakdown. Justin Vernon finally found the time to unpack years of built-up darkness just as the lockdown began. While there are the usual collaborators on this record providing pedal steel (Greg Leisz), fiddle (Rob Moose), saxophone (Michael Lewis), and trumpet (Trever Hagen), “Sable”, is largely defined by Vernon’s voice and guitar. The dense layers of i,i are nowhere to be found, as Vernon bears the weight of these songs largely on his own. It’s a retreat and reset.
released October 18th, 2024
The Fat Angel Sings 