Kiss Each Other Clean
If you fell asleep in 2002 to the whispery folk strumming of Iron & Wine’s “The Creek Drank the Cradle” and woke up to 2011’s “Kiss Each Other Clean,” it would be a very confusing morning. Sam Beam is no longer a solo artist, but rather the leader of his wildest musical dreams. “Clean” is the next step in the progression of grandeur he’s explored over his past few releases. The record pulls from an endless supply of instruments ranging from xylophones to Stevie Wonder-esque synthesizers. There are brief moments when too much is too much (the saxophone solo on “Me & Lazarus”), but overall, the added instrumentation makes a good thing better--“Monkeys Uptown” gets spookier; “Walking Far From Home” gets more poetic; and “Big Burned Hand” gets funkier (yes, Beam is now getting funky, though it’s not his strong suit). There’s no guessing where Iron & Wine will go next, but it’s sure to be an interesting ride.
For fans of: Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens
Rating: 3.5 of 4
Check out this track: Monkeys Uptown
2 comments:
Yeah, I have never been much of an Iron & Wine fan. Then I got this album. Still not a fan.
I'm surprised that you don't like Iron & Wine. Make sure you listen to the Woman King EP before you give up on it.
Post a Comment