Ok, ok. I love Sam Beam and the rest of I & W, however this album is nothing compared to their previous releases. Somewhere along the line they dropped the ball. The best part of the album: Beam's artwork. Their electric, edited studio sound is something way different than that of their previous raw sounding cuts. Mark Wheat, DJ at the Current, had it right for this album. However, I am not as adamant about my decision, it just isn't Iron & Wine quality.
One suggestion for this album is to check out NPR.org's music selections. They happened to have a live concert of this album that will allow you to make your own assessment, plus it's free and downloadable (in my opinion, it is much better than the studio versions of the songs). All the extra editing time and additional tones did not pay off, at all.
Some highlights of the album are as follows.
-Tree by the River: A simple romance song that may be one of my favorites on the album. It gives a feeling to the listener that the previous releases do. Simple guitar, drum, bass, and some harmony vocals.
-Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me: The longest song on the album demonstrates the horn playing in Iron & Wine and also just the ability of the band itself. The song also has a change in attitude, which adds to the overall quality of the tune. The first half or so is more upbeat, while the last half is more stripped down and lyrical; some good vocal harmonies and song-writing.
My recommendation for this is simply to burn it (legally of course!). Also, check out that NPR live show. Although some may have some disliking towards NPR's news coverage, you all will find their music selection is vast and, thank God, free!
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