On 鈥淪ABLE, fABLE,鈥� Justin Vernon sings about his fear of change. And then he strives to embrace it.
The album is the first in six years from Vernon鈥檚 project, an epilogue to the reluctant pop star鈥檚 released last fall. Those minimalist, dark tunes open the album, with Vernon lamenting impermanence while also seeking something new.
On the 鈥渇ABLE鈥� songs that follow, he finds what he鈥檚 looking for: love. The album traces the arc of a courtship as Vernon plugs a hole in his heart.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know who I am without you,鈥� goes a lyric on 鈥淒ay One,鈥� the album鈥檚 most impassioned vocal performance thanks to contributions from Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner and alt-R&B musician Dijon. Much of the music is less convincing, alas, and fails to convey the heat of the moment.
Bon Iver鈥檚 sonics have toggled between his early, recorded-in-a-cabin ballads and the dense layers of more recent releases. Vernon and rising talent Jim-E Stack co-produced the new music, and while much of it comes from Vernon鈥檚 it鈥檚 the opposite of organic.
Multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz contributes lovely pedal steel, and an occasional saxophone peaks through, but the primary instrument seems to be a computer. Synthesizers serve up digital dissonance, samples are part of a robotic patchwork, and vocals often sound chilly and disembodied.
The album鈥檚 techno-folk sound evolves as Vernon sings about growth, and his gauzy romanticism settles on an R&B aura built around his formidable falsetto. At times it seems he鈥檚 about to launch into 鈥淏etcha By Golly, Wow,鈥� or some other 鈥�70s soul hit. Nothing here is that catchy, but his rising vocal line does distinguish the lead single 鈥淓verything Is Peaceful Love,鈥� and he borrows a title on the soulful 鈥淚鈥檒l Be There.鈥�
Long keen to collaborate, Vernon duets with Danielle Haim on 鈥淚f Only I Could Wait,鈥� a persuasive lament about the ebb of love that served as the album鈥檚 genesis. Less successful is 鈥淲alk Home,鈥� an ode to lust undercut by mystifyingly altered, decidedly unromantic kazoo-like singing.
A fetching retro dance groove makes 鈥淔rom鈥� appealing, and a shimmering keyboard provides a big hook on the final song, 鈥淭here鈥檚 A Rhythmn.鈥� The spelling, like the album, falls shy of Bon Iver鈥檚 best efforts.
Steven Wine, The Associated Press
