Bon Iver releases videos for two new tracks from the EP

At once If mysticism can be in short supply in pop, leave it to Justin Vernon to return to the age-old tradition of being a little more mysterious. Start with sablethe new record from his band Bon Iver, their first new release in five years. Unlike Beyoncé’s gap of lemonade To Renaissancehow many big acts last The long between records?

Then take note of that sable is an EP that only consists of three tunes. We’ve recently seen a trend towards relatively compact albums of around ten songs (Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Maggie Rogers, Ice Spice), after years of overcrowded and overly long records. But in this case we’ve been waiting all this time and are rewarded with almost 15 minutes of music? Again, you have to admire the eccentricity of it all.

Bon Iver’s music has always been lyrically stealthy and musically supple, which is still the case with the three pieces his camp describes as “an externalized projection of his turmoil…a release from one of the most difficult eras in Vernon’s life.” Not long ago, Vernon deliberately hid his face. The blinds are open here.” This was certainly true of “Speyside”, the first video from sablepublished about a month ago. In it, a pained-looking Vernon is seen resting on a bed with his eyes often closed as a breeze blows curtains close to his face. But at least you could see his face.

In the other two sable In videos both released today, Vernon has returned to his shadowy, secret self. In “Things Behind Things Behind Things,” he is mostly seen sitting in a darkened barn plucking his guitar. In “Awards Season” (directed by Erinn Springer as in the previous two clips), he comforts himself and his new partner by cranking up a few Rickie Lee Jones records and admitting, “You can be remade/You can be made again.” live/What?” The pain was now won/A new path is laid.” However, in the video he is Bon Enigma again. We’re treated to gauzy clouds, full moons, and a couple making out more than we see Vernon, who is mostly glimpsed in this dim room or on what looks like a television screen.

In August, Vernon resurfaced to perform at a Kamala Harris/Tim Walz campaign rally in his home state of Wisconsin, where he played the Civil War-era “Rally ‘Round the Flag” and some of his own songs. Like he said Rolling Stone“You’re playing these Bon Iver songs that don’t exactly sound like, ‘Feet up, dance and get excited!’ But when we played “Rally ‘Round the Flag,’ we didn’t feel like we were settled in yet, and that was the goal of the day – to get this music in the air for people in that moment.”

Vernon then spent some time with Harris and Walz at a friend’s grocery store. “When Biden got out, it felt very scary,” he said. “Then came relief. And then the momentum of that relief turned into real excitement and a feeling that we haven’t had in this country for a long time. I told Vice President Harris and Coach Walz and their staff, ‘We’re going to be everywhere.'”