Bon Iver’s “SABLE,” on Identity and Self-Forgiveness

It’s been five years since genre-defining, indie-folk band Bon Iver released i,i. To say I’ve been waiting for their next release would be an understatement. Bon Iver’s latest EP, SABLE,, captures a familiar, raw melancholy reminiscent of their 2007 breakthrough debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. The essence of “cabin-folk” is palpable throughout both, not only in the sentimental lyrics but also in the raw emotion of the songs. If For Emma, Forever Ago was the beginning of Bon Iver’s journey, SABLE, embodies the lessons learned along the way.

Test Spin: Bon Iver

This EP, comprised of four songs, follows up the 2007 debut of this one man sensation. Justin Vernon, who is Bon Iver, boarded himself up for three months in his father’s cabin in Wisconsin to create his first LP: For Emma, Forever Ago. It was a tribute to the loss of a band, a lover and himself. Blood Bank reminisces of those times, in particular on the track “Woods” where Justin repeats via Vocoder, “I’m up in the woods/I’m down on my mind/I’m building a still/To slow down the time.” Although this EP was not recorded in a cabin in the woods as For Emma was, it still conveys the sentiment of being out in the wild, fighting off one’s demons.