Sound Salvation Army

Think about your favorite band. Why are they your favorite? What is it about that band? Do they have five or six great albums? Is it that they made one timeless, perfect album that is as good the hundredth time as it was the first? Is their music tied to an emotionally tumultuous time in your life and has great sentimental significance?

If it’s for any of these reasons, then you’re not alone. That is what makes music so special to people everywhere, and these are the reasons why we do this, and why you’re reading it. When music is good, it can be the best thing in the world, even change your life. It’s happened to us all, whether it is a band, album, song or lyric that represents the day our world fell apart, the moment we knew we would never be the same, the second we came to a harsh realization, the instant we fell in love, and it’s a connection we will never shake.

For me, that band is Iron & Wine, a group whose only constant member is Sam Beam, a good ol’ Southern boy (who is also starting to look a lot like Rob Zombie - Pat). Personally, I love Iron & Wine so much I want to take it out behind the middle school and get it pregnant. Why do I love them so much? I couldn’t tell you exactly, but from the instant that I heard “Naked As We Came” for the first time I was hooked. The songs are so well written, the lyrics so different, and when Beam sings it just sounds right. His tunes sound like epic southern fables, stirring and heartfelt tributes to long lost love, to inner contemplations of God and the meaning of life. I haven’t heard a song I didn’t like, and I’ve downloaded an assload of demos, singles, tribute songs, live songs, etc. The music just has that thing, you know? I told you I couldn’t explain it.

Beam is a former cinematography teacher who got his start in music the old fashioned way. He recorded a bunch of songs at home, and sent a demo to a label. Sub Pop picked him up and after five years, three LP’s, nine EP’s, three singles and two soundtrack appearances the return on their investment has been big. The first few records were gorgeous, minimal southern folk highlighted by Sam’s hushed, almost whispered vocals, finger picked guitar and banjo. Over the years their sound has become more and more complex as the band has grown, adding deep, lush levels of instrumentation. One of my favorite new developments in their sound is the rare use of drum kits, frequently preferring instead to make use of random objects, hand claps, and other sources of “inventive” percussion.

Beam has recently claimed inspiration courtesy of another personal favorite of mine, Mr. Tom Waits, who used his album Swordfishtrombones to reinvent his sound. Iron & Wine’s isn’t exactly a sea change, nor are they performing carnival soundtrack dittys, but the new album does show Beam’s commitment to change and the creation of a deeper, richer sound. The style of the music this time around varies greatly, with some songs very similar to their older stuff and others that sound like Talking Heads mixed with Three Dog Night. Not only is the sound bigger, but it’s an extremely well-structured album. Where most music these days feels like a collection of songs and filler, The Shepherds Dog has old-school flow. Instrumentation bridges many songs, linking them to each other in a way that just feels natural, and it’s evident that a great deal of time was spent determining the order of the tracks. They could not have been arranged any more perfectly.

The old music industry cliché is that bands experience a sophomore slump with their second record and try to achieve artistic growth with their “experimental” third album. What Iron & Wine have achieved with this new record is precisely what all bands strive for: songs which captivate a new audience, keep fans of the old records interested, and are different enough that the artist themselves still enjoy making them. I would never have thought it possible, but on The Shepherds Dog Sam Beam has taken everything I loved about Iron & Wine and improved upon it tenfold. These songs are complex musically and just as well written as his quieter numbers, and the composition of the songs is masterful.

The only real significant downsides to this album is the artwork, which looks like a child’s painting of some evil hell hound, and the fact that despite pre-ordering the vinyl and cd versions directly from the bands website, it took two weeks to arrive. But as it turns out the wait was well worth it, as this album has earned a place near the top of the list of my all-time favourites. It’s another masterpiece from one of the great songwriters of his generation, and an awfully high watermark for Iron & Wine to strive for with their next release.

Iron & Wine’s latest, the Shepherd’s Dog (and others) can be found:
iTunes: right here
Sub Pop: their label’s store has all the cd’s, records, posters, and shirts you could ever want. Remember, we support bands and independent labels directly wherever possible!

Jeremy entries acoustic, folk, Iron and Wine, Southern Gothic