Iron & Wine

VIMTV Album Review 603: Iron & Wine – Ghost on Ghost

Jake:  74/100

Tom:  77/100

Verdict: Another shift in sound for this indie folk legend; good, but could have been better.

cv

Overview: Sam Beam is back in 2013 with Ghost on Ghost; a record still more expansive than his pure singer-songwriter roots but a bit more subdued and tailored to his strengths than 2011’s Kiss Each Other Clean.  Beam focuses on creating smart, jazz-pop tunes that are often laced with up-tempo, eclectic instrumentation including strings, sax, horns, piano and female backing vocals.  The anxious edge to his recent work has left for the moment and what results is a more care-free album perfectly suited for a warm summer day.  This may not be the best Iron & Wine album to come out to date but it definitely is another solid feature in this artist’s catalog.

 


Jake’s Track Picks: 

  • 6. Grass Widows
  • 7. Singers and the Endless Song
  • 9. Winter Prayers

Tom’s Track Picks: 

  • 4. Low Light Buddy of Mine
  • 5. Grace for Saints and Ramblers
  • 6. Grass Widows
  • 7. Singers and the Endless Song

 


VIMTV Album Review #367: Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days

Jake:  84/100

Tom:  72/100

Verdict: Recommended if you like low-energy indie-folk.

Overview: While Jake and Tom can both agree that this is a good, enjoyable album, there is a slight difference in the degree to which they believe this is true. Jake thinks this is a brilliant, flowing record, with the mood shifting halfway through to a darker sound that takes the experience to the next level. Tom likes it, but doesn’t think it’s all that special considering this is a genre that is so overdone.

Jake’s Track Picks: 

  • 1. On Your Wings
  • 8. Each Coming Night
  • 9. Free Until They Cut Me Down
  • 12. Passing Afternoon

Tom’s Track Picks: 

  • 2. Naked As We Came
  • 6. Love And Some Verses

VIMTV Research Links:

 

Naked As We Came

Each Coming Night

Iron & Wine Interview

VIMTV Episode #263: Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

Jake:  Recommended, 80/100

Tom:  Recommended, 80/100

Overview: Sam Beam’s latest effort certainly takes his music in a new direction. While the core of the songwriting doesn’t sound all that more inventive than his previous work, the prodcution brings a new layer to the sound, making it a big departure in some ways and not too different in other ways. Regardless, this guy is just such a damn good songwriter that this album is hard to deny. At the same time, however, it still feels like he’s holding back a bit and not really letting it all out. Hopefully, in the future, he will, and we feel like if he does it will be the best of his career.

Recommended Similar Artists: Sufjan Stevens, Band Of Horses

Jake’s Track Picks: 

  • 1. Walking Far From Home
  • 6. Rabbit Will Run
  • 7. Godless Brother in Love
  • 10. Your Fake Name is Good Enough For Me

Tom’s Track Picks: 

  • 1. Walking Far From Home
  • 2. Me And Lazarus
  • 8. Big Burned Hand
  • 10. Your Fake Name is Good Enough For Me

VIMTV Research Links:

“Me and Lazarus ” Live Studio Video:

“Tree by the River”

Share on TwitterPin it on PinterestShare on TumblrSubmit to StumbleUponSubmit to redditShare on Facebook
  • Justin Pruitt
    #1 written by Justin Pruitt  1 year ago

    I love Iron and Wine… my favorite is The Shepherd’s Dog, 2nd is Our Endless Numbered Days, then the Creek Drank the Cradle, then Kiss Each other Clean! (The compilation Around the Well probably ranks higher than ‘Kiss’… I loved it at first but it really winded down after repeated listens for me…

    Reply Quote
  • Ryan B.
    #2 written by Ryan B.  1 year ago

    I think Our Endless Numbered Days is a masterpiece. It probably has a lot to do with me listening to it while being away during my first semester of college. I was getting used to living away from home and this album made me forget many of my worries. That to me is the power of music and I’m so glad that you guys are able to see that as well. Sorry for the long post but I truly appreciate what you guys do.

    Reply Quote
  • Holden
    #3 written by Holden  7 months ago

    Kinda what Ryan B. said. Our Endless Numbered Days is just a modest masterwork of modern folk music. Songs like “Naked As We Came,” “Cinder and Smoke;” and “Sodom, South Georgia” are some of the most gorgeous and haunting songs I’ve ever heard. It easily fits among my fifty favorite albums of all time. I discovered and got into it right before I started college, and can just put it on whenever. It’s a truly remarkable listen, both on a personal level, and in a way where I cannot help but admire the level of genius and artistry that Sam Beam puts into each track. I believe it is easily one of the best albums of the modern era, and the best Iron & Wine record so far.

    Reply Quote
  • Comment Feed for this Post
Go to Top