- by Janne Oinonen
- Friday, September 16, 2005
More Iron & Wine
At first, the collaboration doesn’t sound like the brightest of ideas. Adding anything beyond the sparsest of accompaniments to Sam Beam’s hushed-to-the-point-of-whispering delivery and introspective way with a tune just seems a bit, well, intrusive. Make that extra ingredient Tucson, Arizona’s celebrated Calexico, Beam’s fellow top drawer Americana attraction renowned for their rich textures and music that frequently sounds like it just walked off the set of a borderline-based Western with its spurs and Stetson still intact, and it could well be a recipe for a muddled disaster.
Thankfully, this half an hour display of new Sam Beam (aka Iron & Wine) tunes fleshed out by Calexico is anything but. Bookended by ‘He Lay in the Reins’ and ‘Dead Man’s Will’, the two tracks here that most resemble the normal output of the participants, the former coming across not unlike Lambchop bitten by a mariachi bug and the latter an Iron & Wine-patented meditative and sparse campfire chant, the real meat lies in the numbers that leave both parties’ comfort zones behind in a quest to chart exciting new musical pastures.
While the bluesy workout on ‘Red Dust’, as enjoyable and charged as the performance is, could be mistaken for the kind of flimsy filler bands scrape together to bolster ‘special’ releases by the more jam-phobic listeners, any whiff of hastily assembled stopgap product is instantly wiped out by the treats that follow. ’16, Maybe Less’ is a magisterial late-night reminiscence lifted to stunning heights by the pedal steel-powered weary mood conjured by Calexico and harmonies from Natalie Wyants. ‘Burn That Broken Bed’ is even better, an atmospherically spooky and hypnotic nocturnal groove with frequent funky speedbumps sprinkled along the route by the exquisite rhythm section.
Elsewhere, ‘History of Lovers’ is a remarkably frisky offering considering Beam’s usual aversion to music to bust a move to with its Stax-like horns and general jauntiness, while ‘Prison on Rt. 41’ is a slice of the kind of classic storytelling that’s been with us since the first person with troubles on their mind decided to employ an instrument to spice up the complaints procedure.
All told, 'In The Reins' provides a harmonious meeting point between the remote cabin and scorching desert sands evoked by Iron & Wine’s and Calexico’s respective back catalogues, and as such it’s manna for fans of both participants, while anyone with a general interest in all things Americana generally could do much, much worse than lend an ear to these seven songs.
Iron and Wine - 'The Shepherds Dog' (Warner) Released 24/09/07
Slipknot Close Their London Residency In Spectacular Style
The Worst Album Covers Of 2008! 
Kaiser Chiefs, White Lies, Ladyhawke Perform For Xfm
Register now and have your comments approved automatically!