a new Iron & Wine (Samuel Beam) album was released last month and after listening to it and all of the other Iron & Wine albums, I had to write a review. I will do a comparison between his second album (Our Endless Numbered Days) and this new one (Kiss Each Other Clean), which sounds completely different from what Iron & Wine started with.
the older albums mainly consist of an acoustic guitar, sometimes a banjo, and Sam Beam's voice, and have a surreal and unique acoustic feel that will give you chills. the change in style started to appear on his third album (The Sheperd's Dog) and is quite definite on his latest album. this new jazz-influenced and eclectic band-like sound (where the presence of synthesizers, jazzy horns and other electronic sounds plays an important part), is "easier" and doesn't embed a specific feel to the listener. I'm not saying that the album is bad or anything, actually it's quite pleasant to listen to, but I was sincerely expecting something else from this artist.
While I really enjoy listening to "Kiss Each Other Clean", if I will ever want to play an Iron & Wine album, I will always choose one of his previous releases.
1. tree by the river
2. monkeys uptown
3. your fake name is good enough for me
Released as single:
4. walking far from home
these four tracks are the ones I find most inspired and inspiring. as you will see if you give them a listen, they follow no pattern, fit to no style, they have no common core.
tree by the river is very melodic, with a simple beat, and backing vocals that are soothing and complete the instrumentals, and Sam Beam's voice is stronger and edgier, not just a whisper any more.
monkeys uptown has a strong catchy rhythm, and will instantly please any listener. it's more complex than "tree by the river", with strong guitar riffs, breakdowns and lots of background squeaks and squeals and other sounds.
I think your fake name is good enough for me is the most interesting track on the album, along with "walking far from home", yet the tracks are similar in no way, it's like they are sung by two different artists. the first one starts with a horn section, giving a jazzy sensation. the horns appear all along the track, fitting perfectly with Sam's voice and other backing vocals which sound harmonious. the lead guitar riffs with the horns combine into a great sound explosion before the second part of the track begins. this part changes rhythm, vocal style and instrumentals, going on forever and evolving in complexity as a haunting ending for the album.
walking far from home is also very pleasantly bizzare, and is like a reminder of Iron & Wine's beginnings. it starts with a faded background instrumental and a soft vocal performance, but evolves along the way, turning into a complex instrumental sound and a powerful voice accompanied by backing vocals. I find the lyrics very interesting, as they expose a succession of weird imageries, with no chorus or break in the cycle. it's quite mesmerising.
the conclusion: very good album, but a change in style of any artist will always come as a shock to certain fans. it may take a little longer to get used to it.
next up, I will show you what Iron & Wine used to sound like.
as I mentioned at the beginning of the post, these tracks are from Iron & Wine's second album (Our Endless Numbered Days - 2004) and are my personal favourites from this album.
Laura recommends:
1. cinder and smoke
2. free until they cut me down
3. each coming night
4. teeth in the grass
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