| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| lemonade kid |
Posted - 11/06/2016 : 15:31:11
Iron & Wine
Sam Beam
The Creek Drank The Cradle Dry-full album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zta1y_vHZBg&list=PL21C6DEEAF4F6832A
AllMusic Review by Tim Sendra
Iron and Wine's debut record, The Creek Drank the Cradle, is written, produced, and performed by Sam Beam and features only Beam's voice, a gently strummed acoustic guitar, some slide guitar, and the occasional banjo. Iron and Wine creates intimate and emotional songs, recorded bedroom-style but never letting the lo-fi get in the way of the tune. The obvious comparison has to be Lou Barlow/Sebadoh/Sentridoh, as they share the same breathy voice, melancholy outlook on life, and devotion to Nick Drake. The difference is that there are no traces of punk rock or noise for the sake of noise in Iron and Wine's music. Beam isn't interested in rocking out or obscuring the beauty that bursts from within his simple songs; he embraces it and lets his sadness twist in the wind for all to see. Besides, his vocal harmonies are more soft rock than punk rock. "Lion's Mane" opens the record and immediately takes your breath away as Beam's voice is so beautiful and his hooks are razor sharp.
Every song that follows is just as memorable, Beam sounding positively angelic as he harmonizes with himself. "The Rooster Moans" is a chilling side trip into Appalachian folk; "Southern Anthem" a falsetto-led indie-gospel track with an absolutely soaring chorus. The simple musical backing never gets boring either, as there are musical hooks to match the vocal hooks -- the banjo in "Lion's Mane," the double-tracked repeating slide at the end of "Faded from the Winter," the gently chugging rhythm of "Upward Over the Mountain." As soon as the almost jaunty, Neil Young-esque album closer, "Muddy Hymnal," ends, you'll want to hit repeat and start again. The Creek Drank the Cradle is a stunning debut and one of the best records of 2002.
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The actual writing of a song usually comes in the form of a realisation.
I can't contrive a song. Ð GENE CLARK |
| 1 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| lemonade kid |
Posted - 11/06/2016 : 15:43:28
Iron & Wine
Sam Beam
Kiss Each Other Clean-full album play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa6WS6hp8XM&index=2&list=PLF85FCFBDA9E746F8
Artist Biography by James Christopher Monger
The Creek Drank the Cradle Singer/songwriter Samuel Beam, who rose to prominence with a blend of whispered vocals and softly homespun indie folk, chose the moniker Iron and Wine after coming across a dietary supplement named "Beef Iron & Wine" while working on a film. Raised in South Carolina, Beam received his bachelor's degree in art from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and later his Master of Fine Arts degree from Florida State University Film School.
Although Beam would later expand his sound to include electric instruments and rich, lush textures, he was firmly exploring the former style when several of his lo-fi recordings caught the ear of Jonathan Poneman, co-owner of Sub Pop Records. The songs had been recorded in Beam's bedroom without the aid of studio flourishes, but Poneman nevertheless requested that additional material be sent to the label for submission, and Beam responded by sending two CDs in the mail -- both of them full-length albums. Poneman considered releasing them both, but instead slimmed down the set to 12 songs and released it in September 2002 as The Creek Drank the Cradle. The similarly themed The Sea & the Rhythm EP followed in 2003.
It was Beam's 2004 full-length, Our Endless Numbered Days, that signaled his arrival on the indie pop scene. Recorded in Chicago with producer Brian Deck, the album was resolutely hi-fi, but the addition of a full band only illuminated Beam's deft lyricism and intimate vocal delivery, resulting in one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. Late 2004 found the newly marketable Iron and Wine popping up on television commercials and movie soundtracks (In Good Company, Garden State), culminating in a busy 2005 that saw Beam release two EPs, the lush Woman King and In the Reins, a collaboration with Arizona spaghetti Western aficionados Calexico. The politically charged Shepherd's Dog, Beam and company's most diverse -- and most listenable -- record to date, was released in 2007. A two-disc collection of B-sides, rarities, soundtrack inclusions, and discarded tracks from the Iron and Wine archives called Around the Well arrived in early 2009.
Kiss Each Other Clean, Iron and Wine's first collection of new music in nearly three years and one that found Beam further expanding the group's sound, was released in January 2011 by their new label, Warner Bros. After a move to 4AD and Nonesuch, Iron and Wine released the more relaxed and intimate Ghost on Ghost in early 2013. The Brian Deck-produced album featured jazz drummer Brian Blade and bassist Tony Garnier of Bob Dylan's band, among others. Together with Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell, Beam released a covers album titled Sing into My Mouth in 2015. The record featured versions of songs from the likes of Talking Heads, John Cale, and Sade.
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Kiss Each Other Clean
AllMusic Review by Tim Sendra
The ongoing journey of Sam Beam from bedroom mystic to ringleader of a slick stadium indie rock band is completed on 2011Õs Kiss Each Other Clean. While the previous Iron & Wine album, The Shepherd's Dog, was also very produced and pro-sounding, this album is huge. Beam, a cast of many, and producer Brian Deck have embellished the songs with a ton of studio tricks, a wide variety of instruments from flute to squelchy old synths, and a tightly arranged, loosely flowing feel that anyone who was initially enraptured by BeamÕs early recordings might be hard-pressed to recognize. (Though BeamÕs voice is still as haunting and intimate as ever for the most part. As is his beard.) Once you accept that I&W are now as established as a ÒrealÓ band on par with Wilco or the Flaming Lips, some questions arise. Are they still any good? Can Beam still capture a heart with a tender melody and an aching vocal despite all the tricks and sax solos? Does the musicianship on display overpower the songs? Will Beam survive in the big leagues? Most of these questions were answered in the affirmative on the last album; they are reaffirmed here. Beam still writes and sings in a voice that could penetrate even the most syrupy backing -- nothing will likely ever change that. His lyrics have the same broken and bruised poetry theyÕve always had, only now they are surrounded by haunting and inventive arrangements that are even more intricate and interesting than on The Shepherd's Dog. This time, Beam and company bring in soft rock smoothness, dub reggae textures, and instruments that havenÕt really been featured on previous records. The vintage synths in particular deserve mention; whether they are bubbling like mad on ÒMonkeys UptownÓ or getting Stevie Wonder-funky on ÒBig Burned Hand,Ó they give the otherwise very organic-sounding arrangements a welcome cheesy kick. Other aspects that deserve praise are Sarah SimpsonÕs sweetly sung backing vocals and DeckÕs production. He layers instruments and mixes sound like heÕs baking a giant cake, giving the songs depth and a widescreen scope in the process. Beam couldnÕt have picked a better person for the job of blowing his music up to the large-scale work of beauty it has become. If youÕve been on board since the beginning, you have to marvel at the perfectly timed and logical way the music has progressed. No one could ever accuse Beam of selling out his art, only growing up and building it up. Kiss Each Other Clean is the result of years of growth and change, and though that sounds incredibly boring, itÕs also a record full of roiling emotion, tender wit, and deeply felt melodic beauty. In other words, a standard issue Iron & Wine record.
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The actual writing of a song usually comes in the form of a realisation.
I can't contrive a song. Ð GENE CLARK |
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