Iron and Wine: The Shepherd's Dog
Iron and Wine's The Shepherd's Dog - out on Sept 24th
Monday, 24, Sep 2007 11:38
Sub Pop/Transgressive, out Sept 24th
In a nutshell...
Mercurial, enigmatic, languid, charming and mysterious
What's it all about?
Samuel Beam, aka Iron and Wine, writes charming, deceptively dense confessional songs with southern American themes.
This - his third album for Sub Pop - is a collection of 12 elegant, whimsical gems evocative of the earliest railroad folk. Filled with blink-and-you'll-miss-it one-line sermons, intricate finger-picked guitar and Beam's calming, intimate voice, it is a treasure.
The album is studio polished, a departure from the more rustic sounding The Creek Drank the Cradle and Our Endless Numbered Days, but still maintains an air of warm informality; Beam seemingly singing for a single listener.
A literate thread flows through the work also, and although this is not flaunted, Beam is seemingly aware of his talent and asks his audience to repay his craft with quiet attention. The album rewards repeated listens, containing all manner of gems you might have missed first time around.
Who's it by
Born in California, Beam made his name in Miami, releasing records which eventually caught the ear of Sub Pop manager Jonathon Poneman, who asked him to submit some material for release.
Initially reluctant Beam was eventually cajoled; presenting over 30 songs that would come to form the rapturously received The Creek Drank the Cradle. The album went on to sell over 100,000 copies establishing a reputation at the top table of folk rock.
Our Endless Numbered Days, released in 2004, sold some 200,000 copies in America alone and cemented this reputation, allowing Beam to tour the world as a solo artist for the first time.
As an example.
"Tomorrow I'll be kissing on her blood red lips" - Lovesong of the Buzzard
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Already adored by those in the know, The Shepherd's Dog will only enhance the standing of Iron and Wine further, placing Beam on a par with other luminaries including the Mountain Goats, Bill Callaghan and Elliot Smith.
What the others say
"Wherever one's ear ventures on The Shepherd's Dog, it's treated to a densely-textured treat, whether it's the striations of psychedelic guitar gradually enveloping White Tooth Man like ribbons around a maypole, or the breaths of accordion caressing Beam's recollections of youthful transformation in the concluding Flightless Bird, American Mouth." - Andy Gill, the Independent
"What really stands out is how The Shepherd's Dog literally hits the ground running from its opener, Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car, cutting a clear slice from the organic and distinctive junkyard percussion and deep-fried blues stomps of Tom Waits. Bongo drums, tambourine, shakers, handclaps - this album is rhythmic and flows with organic percussion." - Tom Milway, Drowned in Sound.
So is it any good?
The Shepherd's Dog will rightly be viewed as the most complete Iron and Wine album to date.
Its charm flows seamlessly, creating a rustic, sepia tinted nostalgic spectre. Its hazy beauty belies the extraordinary complexity of the record and the dexterity of the musicianship.
There is also a strong variety of material here; from the out and out folk ballads which characterise the opening half of the album, to the longer, restrained psycadelia of The Devil Never Sleeps and Peace Beneath the City.
A form of dark comedy is also present. Beam seems at home with his faintly twisted sense of humour adding one more side to an already complex album.
8/10
Christopher O'Toole