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10.0
140900
10.0 |
The Arts Desk
He has made a virtue of hesitation
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10.0
140908
10.0 |
DIY
Soulful, almost spiritual in its delivery
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9.1
140975
9.1 |
A.V. Club
If this is indeed Bon Iver's epilogue, the band goes out on a high note
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9.0
140932
9.0 |
Clash
A record of rare beauty and hope that fits neatly into the catalogue of an outfit that has never failed to deliver something extraordinary
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9.0
140920
9.0 |
Uncut
Sable, Fable is an album that is felt as much as heard: the contraction of its opening tracks, the release of its love songs, the resolve of its closing numbers. Print edition only
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9.0
140882
9.0 |
musicOMH
Marks a return to his fragile folk roots
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8.7
140950
8.7 |
Beats Per Minute
Regardless of whether or not you prefer to commiserate with the sadness found on his past records, it’s clear that SABLE, fABLE could have only emerged from a place of hard-earned inner peace
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8.6
140893
8.6 |
Northern Transmissions
This is art as a game. SABLE, fABLE is the band’s most direct proof its music intends to transcend art, and sometimes, somehow, does
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8.2
140942
8.2 |
Spectrum Culture
With SABLE, fABLE, Bon Iver delivers an album that feels less like a statement and more like a reconciliation. It doesn’t chase trends but finds meaning in the middle distance between cabin and studio, between myth and memory
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8.1
140885
8.1 |
Pitchfork
On his fifth album, Justin Vernon moves out of the shadows and into an unabashedly joyful mindset and soundscape. His music remains as compelling as ever
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8.0
140905
8.0 |
Exclaim
SABLE, fABLE won't just make your head bob — it'll also make you excited for Bon Iver's next inevitable curveball
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8.0
140906
8.0 |
NME
Fans feared this could be Justin Vernon's big farewell, but instead his embrace of sunnier climes feels like a new chapter
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8.0
140889
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
Justin Vernon's first album in six years, SABLE, fABLE, finds the melancholic indie stalwart at his most hopeful and open
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8.0
140899
8.0 |
The Skinny
The latest album from the shapeshifting Bon Iver revels in its sense of joy and collaboration
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8.0
140921
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Justin Vernon is incapable of making a ‘happy’ record. The upbeat moments here are inevitably followed by deep longueurs. But the abiding feeling is one of peace
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8.0
140922
8.0 |
The Independent
Justin Vernon’s version of ‘radiant pop music’ is to brighten his earthy, acoustic landscapes with synths and drum pads
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8.0
140933
8.0 |
The Observer
This companion album to last year’s Sable EP gives those sorrowful songs a soulful lift, with Vernon’s beautiful falsetto vocals to the fore
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8.0
140954
8.0 |
PopMatters
Bon Iver’s fifth studio LP SABLE, fABLE shifts from the stark beauty of the original EP to include uplifting sounds that are as enjoyable as they are personal
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7.8
140944
7.8 |
Paste Magazine
After foregoing the sad troubadour parable, Justin Vernon’s band is the poppiest they've ever been on their double-disc fifth album full of uncharacteristically clear songwriting and unfounded vocal collaborations
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7.5
140989
7.5 |
Under The Radar
Even for those who may not be in the mood for all this peace and love, it’s hard not to read this album as a personal triumph
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7.0
140943
7.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
The record’s most profound and memorable experiences arrive at the hands of the tracks that are not afraid of crossing timelines, the ones that are unafraid of integration and understand there is no returning to the past
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7.0
140888
7.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
While geared towards granting a pleasant listen throughout, fABLE can suffer from shallow entries and uncharacteristically dated production
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6.0
140895
6.0 |
Far Out
Although not always clear in what it’s setting out to achieve, Sable, Fable is perfectly punctuated by these stronger tracks, providing for a generally pleasant listen that offers a moment of blissful respite amid life’s unrelenting chaos
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6.0
140919
6.0 |
Dork
In a world of uncertainty and chaos in 2025, there is absolutely nothing wrong with just being nice
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5.0
140923
5.0 |
All Music
Too much of this record sounds like it could have been made by almost anyone and that's not good, and neither in the end is SABLE, fABLE
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4.0
140934
4.0 |
The FT
The band’s fifth release harks back to their acclaimed 2008 debut For Emma, Forever Ago
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