IRON & WINE * KISS EACH OTHER CLEAN
(Warner Bros. Records)
One of the most anticipated albums of early 2011 is also one of the most surprising in its delivery. Over their [his] first three albums, Iron & Wine [Sam Beam] has certainly created a distinct image and sound. With his fourth LP, though, Sam Beam takes us in a new direction that doesn't feel forced, doesn't feel out of place and doesn't feel like we should be hearing anything else.
Kiss Each Other Clean cannot be pigeonholed into any single genre. Beam's distinct folky delivery is heard on each track, but this time around, the accompaniments seem to be the stars. Taking a page from the Sufjan Stevens playbook, Beam fills the background of much of the new material with some crazy sound effects, unique percussion and [yes] jazz flute....oh, and some of the best saxophone you'll hear in modern music since Morphine first (and last) hit the scene.
Many of us were first introduced to Beam's new direction with "Walking Far From Home," which also kicks off Kiss Each Other Clean. Its swirling vocals and shimmering soundscapes give way to an epic crescendo centering on a perfectly distorted organ. The rest of the new tracks also display the same kind of ingenuity. "Tree By The River" exudes the best kind of yacht-rock vibe, with the female back-up vocalists ideally complementing Beam's tenor.
Looking ahead, "Half Moon" could be the new go-to wedding song for many a young couple sick of Ray Lamontagne's overexposure. For me, though, Kiss Each Other Clean shines when Beam loses himself in "Godless Brother In Love," a beautiful ballad featuring classical guitar & harp, a simple walking piano line and Beam's spine-tingling falsetto. Unlike previous Iron & Wine albums, though, we're not presented with a similarly structured song. Instead, out comes "Big Burned Hand," a funky little number that wouldn't be out of place on a Dolemite soundtrack.
As a closer, we're given the 7-minute masterpiece, "Your Fake Name is Good Enough." Somehow, Beam manages to tie together the varying themes of the previous 9 songs to wrap up the record in a driving jam that would pump you up for a wedding as well as a funeral. A simple handful of notes from a baritone sax is the curtain closer, yet we all know that the stage is just being set for Iron & Wine's new direction.
As a closer, we're given the 7-minute masterpiece, "Your Fake Name is Good Enough." Somehow, Beam manages to tie together the varying themes of the previous 9 songs to wrap up the record in a driving jam that would pump you up for a wedding as well as a funeral. A simple handful of notes from a baritone sax is the curtain closer, yet we all know that the stage is just being set for Iron & Wine's new direction.
Grade: A+
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