"Resurrection Fern" Iron & Wine
Well, I guess it had to happen at some point. It sounds like someone finally told Sam Beam (and his beard) that it was okay to actually sing in a song. No more "whisper-singing" as Emily calls it. No, on the latest LP from Iron & Wine, "Shepherd's Dog", which was released yesterday, Sam actually shows us all what a great voice he has. His gentle tone has a richness and intimacy that I only wish more artists were able to cultivate. He continues to expand the instrumentation that started branching out with his previous effort, "Our Endless Numbered Days". On this latest release, he dabbles in some Paul Simon-esque world music sampling (see- tribal drums on "Lovesong of the Buzzard"), but at the heart of almost all of the tracks is the unmistakable vocals of Sam Beam - those vocals that gesture you gently to come a little closer, just a little bit closer. This an album that may very well prove to be divisive among the Beam loyalists. Some may resent this more produced aesthetic, desiring the old bedroom recordings of his youth, perhaps they want to crank their headphones up to 11 just to hear his music. I however, think this album could win him a whole new legion of fans. I know it swung me to land more firmly in the Iron & Wine camp. This is easily one of my favorite discs of the year so far, and on it is one of my top tracks of the year, "Resurrection Fern".This track grabbed me immediately. On my very first listen I was drawn to the song, I can even point to a single line, a single moment of perfect delivery that still gets me, no matter how many times I listen on repeat. When the slide guitar slips ever so slightly up, and he utters the beautiful couplet, "And we'll undress beside the ashes of the fire/both our tender bellies wound in baling wire." I know it may not be the prettiest thing when ripped wantonly out of context and laid bare here on this glimmering collection of pixels and bits, but when you have your headphones on, with the sound close enough to touch, and Beam wraps his voice around your heart, and the slide melts away everything you thought you were, you can just become.
Iron & Wine Official Site
Iron & Wine on WikiPedia
Buy "The Shepherd's Dog" on Amazon.com
"Resurrection Fern" Iron & Wine
***BONUS MP3***
"Naked As We Came" Iron & Wine (The first Iron & Wine song I ever heard, placed lovingly on the first mix CD Emily ever made me)
Labels: Best Of, bonus mp3, Iron and Wine
posted by H-Bomb @ 9:39 PM
5 Comments:
Wow, first time I've heard Iron & Wine. I felt the same way, as the song just grabbed me. Can't believe I didn't know about them. Thanks! They now have another fan and supporter.
I was making a mix CD for my wife and Iron and Wine had come up under the amazon you may also like this artist section. I happened to pick Resurrection Fern just cause I was trying to make an "earthy" positive CD. And OMG that song is incredible. The imagery and mood of the song is amazing. You can create your own story around it. I just bought the whole CD and will be looking into his older stuff as well.
Their whole back catalog is pretty incredible. It's not driving down the road music, but man, if you put your headphones on Iron and Wine is just magical.
I first learned about Iron & Wine from Paste magazine, When I listened to "Resurrection Fern" My heart melted, I could never find the words to sum up my feeling on this song. It made me want to burst in tears and at the same time dance for joy. When I read your blog I felt as if someone finally put my feeling into words. "...and Beam wraps his voice around...everything you thought you were, you can just become." Kudoos to you for such expressive writing.
Wow, thanks so much Nickel, I'm glad you feel the same way! He's such an incredible musician too.
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