| · The cup runneth over.
My first introduction to the man behind the moniker Iron and Wine was on The Postal Service EP, Such Great Heights. Singer Sam Beam covered the title track and his haunting acoustic version blew me away. I found myself searching for more music by the mysterious, bearded man from Miami and frantically downloaded every one of his songs off the Sub Pop website.
His soft strumming and hushed vocals make you believe every word that falls from his lips. If there ever was an album that successfully captures the copper taste of autumn, this is it. The crisp production quality and emphasis on Beam’s expressive voice make for an intimate and enchanting album. Beam avoids becoming a folk caricature and although you could compare the songwriter to legends Nick Drake and Elliott Smith, don’t break out the patchouli and incense just yet. There is something intense and aggressive buried beneath the simplicity of his songwriting.
Beam is an effective storyteller, making tired clichés (i.e. love, family and the brotherman) seem fresh and profound. This folk formula has been done before, but never as well.
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