Iron and Wine is Sam Beam, a magnificently bearded resident of Miami and ‘Our Endless Numbered Days’ is his second album. I will have to admit my ignorance regarding his first album ‘The Creek Drank the Cradle’ but if it’s anything like this understated triumph it will be well worth getting hold of a copy. The key word in that last sentence is understated, in a world full of talentless show offs clamouring for attention, Sam Beam is the quiet genius in the corner.
‘Our Endless Days’ is twelve beautiful songs regarding life, love, redemption, faith and loss all to the background of delicately plucked acoustic guitars, mournful slide guitar, banjo and brushed percussion. For a record so slight it has the ability to stop you in your tracks on a regular basis. His voice is intimate and hushed as though he is sharing secrets with you round a fire in the early hours of the morning. His rich lilt can make time slow down as though Iron and Wine has it’s own time zone where there’s 70 minutes in each hour.
A voice alone is not enough however and it is the music that elevates this album. Never showy, it is, none the less, mightily impressive. Leave your prejudices aside and indulge yourself in banjos and country style slide guitar but above all revel in the acoustic guitars that provide the majority of the backdrop. Beautifully restrained the instrumentation maybe, but that does not prevent the obvious skill and passion in the music shining through.
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Highlights come thick and fast. ‘Teeth In The Grass’ utilises the banjo to wonderful effect, ‘Naked As We Came’ showcases that voice whilst typifying the sinister underbelly to his songs; ‘one of us will die inside these arms’ he sings, as if this is some comfort to us. ‘Free Until They Cut Me Down’ is slightly more uptempo utilising drums, it revels in a Southern gothic feel. It seems that Southern America casts a shadow across Sam Beam's work, giving the impression of muggy heat, long nights drinking bourbon and something sinister just out of sight. Truly though there is not a bad song here and repeat listens consistently throw up something new.
Alt-country maybe a confusing term, covering a wide range of very different artists and conjuring images of die hard folkies and impressive facial hair, but if your curiosity has been piqued you could do a lot worse than start here.
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