There are artists who pick up an acoustic guitar and pluck away creating nice singer/songwriter tunes and then there is Sam Beam. This former film professor of Miami writes songs that are saturated with linguistic prowess and dripping with intimate sincerity. His hushed, whispery voice coaxes you to listen closer and listen deeper.
The most recent release from Iron & Wine (Beam’s stage name), 2011’s “Kiss Each Other Clean,” is only his 4th full-length album, but with the release of EPs and collaborations along the way, this artist’s growth and evolution has been gradual, but distinct. Sort of like waking up in the middle of puberty and realizing you’ve grown 4 inches over night. Everything still feels relatively familiar, but there has been a definite change.
Early Iron & Wine is heavy with acoustic guitar, banjo and slide guitar giving the songs the signature of roots music to accompany the southern allegories and biblical themes in the lyrics. This lo-fi style gives the music comfortable warmth. Later albums see Beam expanding his sonic reach to Reggae and West African influences while maintaining a cohesive balance with his Americana origins.
This is music that quenches the soul. Beam’s ability to package creative sound combinations, poetry and coziness in a song is unexpected when you remember that he was once giving lectures in a Miami classroom. But hey, Neil Young is Canadian.
If you like: Neko Case, Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel
Check out: Iron & Wine (start with Our Endless Numbered Days, progress with Woman King EP, graduate to The Shepherd’s Dog)
Feeling brave: Elliott Smith, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, John Fahey, CalexicoAI level: Intermediate
Neil Young IS canadian. As is Justin Bieber. Just sayin’.
He is, which makes it so interesting that he is such an American Folk icon. I think it’s great that no one seems to care where you come from or what you used to do as long as they can get lost in the music.