Post by Zapp Brannigan on Feb 6, 2011 20:48:25 GMT -5
www.lifessweetbreath.com/reviews/albums/22-kiss-each-other-clean.html
Iron And Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean[/i]
[4AD, 2011]
74%
Samuel Beam has long been the unsung hero of the rustic-indie folk genre. Listeners have spun with the rattled twang of The Shepherd’s Dog, and swooned on their love-lit tiptoes to the intoxicatingly romantic tunes of Our Endless Numbered Days. And now, though new sounds resonate from his freshly-equipped synthesizer, the distinguished lyrical stylings ring true on Iron & Wine’s latest offering. Taking a few crisp steps away from his lo-fi acoustically-lathered tunes, turning this new leaf can be intimidating, both for artist and for listener, as Kiss Each Other Clean proves true.
On first listen this album may not prove itself as one feels it should. Start to finish it is a hard swallow, especially for the more loyal fans. The opener, “Walking Far From Home,” feels much like a smooth ride through an extraterrestrial country side. Multi-facetted textual accents leave the listener checking to reassure themselves this actually is Iron & Wine spilling from their speakers. With the line “Saw a car crash in the country where the prayers run like weeds along the road,” bringing back to reality that Sam Beam is the master-lyricist holding the reins on this audio symphony. Driving on into “Me and Lazarus,” the ebb-and-flow-theme of this track is carried along with a free-form, jazz-heavy saxophone, reminiscing a walk with Lazarus through the funky streets of New Orleans. The light-heartedness of this record holds true to Beam’s growth along his singer-songwriter roots. It is hard to imagine that 9 years ago we were just hearing The Creek Drank the Cradle and falling hard.
The distant back-vocals add a nice transitional comfort into Beam’s new form. True enough in “Tree by the River,” this infectious, young lover’s summer-day hymn evokes a carelessness reminiscent of the bouncy, dusty synth-pop anthems of the 70s-- something Sam says he wanted out of this record. “Now I’m asleep in a car, I mean the world to a potty-mouth girl, pretty pair of blue-eyed birds,” is a heart-warming lyric one simply can’t unstick. Though musically crowded and synthetically jumbled, at times, “Monkeys Uptown” also possesses a contagious effervescence, which seems to coin a theme on the album. By this point, a loyal listener is weighing out the pros and cons, while a new inductee into the Iron & Wine fan club is floating along, drinking in the full, robust sounds invading their auditory system.
A refreshing reminder, “Half Moon” is the most recognizable of Beam’s effort. His warm and inviting sonant over the distant country-drive twang of his guitar makes this a comfortable place-marker on the album. Not to say droning consistency doesn’t get stale, but listeners sometimes need a good point of reference to go by, record to record. “Half Moon” happens to be just that-- enough familiarity on which to keep going. “Rabbit Will Run” turns into more of a walk through the dark woods in the Age of Adz-- undoubtedly a nod to a reigning king of the awkward-indie genre, Sufjan Stevens. Taking it down a few notches the breathy ballad, “Godless Brother in Love,” has wonderful melodic compliments accompanied by soft piano accents that truly remind one of a mother’s warm embrace. Leaving just as softly as it entered, making a path for “Big Burned Hand.” A more soulful approach leads way into triumphing vocals, swaying in the staggering freedom of the bass line of this track. Playful sax overtones give way into trip-tastic synthesizer rises and falls, all the while the vocals even out to a lovely pace.
Sam’s voice rings honest and clear as night in “Glad Man Singing.” The infectiously dreamy back-vocals swoon along as the listener is carried through the poetic lyrical corridors. Toe-tapping and heart-wrenching all the same-- a pinnacle track, for sure. As the record wraps to “Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me,” more vigorous horn-styled melodies dance their way on out. Leading listeners into an up-beat, jazz hall number, but quickly slowing into a lonely guitar over crashing symbols, Beam chants, “Become the rising sun/We will become, become/Become the damage done/We will become, become/Become the river sway/We will become, become/Become the love we made/We will become, become ….”, building to a staggering chaos, then leveling off to leave the scene.
So while Kiss Each Other Clean may not be exactly what one expects or hopes for, don’t hang it out to dry without a nice sit-down. The liberal spread of interchanging synthesizers and smart saxophone add more depth to the more primitive Iron & Wine minimalistic folk intonation, while layered vocals give the album a fuller, more functional tonality. Speaking a new language to a broader audience will win some and lose some. Either way, just settle in and spin it again.
-Laura Hill, February 3, 2011
Iron And Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean[/i]
[4AD, 2011]
74%
Samuel Beam has long been the unsung hero of the rustic-indie folk genre. Listeners have spun with the rattled twang of The Shepherd’s Dog, and swooned on their love-lit tiptoes to the intoxicatingly romantic tunes of Our Endless Numbered Days. And now, though new sounds resonate from his freshly-equipped synthesizer, the distinguished lyrical stylings ring true on Iron & Wine’s latest offering. Taking a few crisp steps away from his lo-fi acoustically-lathered tunes, turning this new leaf can be intimidating, both for artist and for listener, as Kiss Each Other Clean proves true.
On first listen this album may not prove itself as one feels it should. Start to finish it is a hard swallow, especially for the more loyal fans. The opener, “Walking Far From Home,” feels much like a smooth ride through an extraterrestrial country side. Multi-facetted textual accents leave the listener checking to reassure themselves this actually is Iron & Wine spilling from their speakers. With the line “Saw a car crash in the country where the prayers run like weeds along the road,” bringing back to reality that Sam Beam is the master-lyricist holding the reins on this audio symphony. Driving on into “Me and Lazarus,” the ebb-and-flow-theme of this track is carried along with a free-form, jazz-heavy saxophone, reminiscing a walk with Lazarus through the funky streets of New Orleans. The light-heartedness of this record holds true to Beam’s growth along his singer-songwriter roots. It is hard to imagine that 9 years ago we were just hearing The Creek Drank the Cradle and falling hard.
The distant back-vocals add a nice transitional comfort into Beam’s new form. True enough in “Tree by the River,” this infectious, young lover’s summer-day hymn evokes a carelessness reminiscent of the bouncy, dusty synth-pop anthems of the 70s-- something Sam says he wanted out of this record. “Now I’m asleep in a car, I mean the world to a potty-mouth girl, pretty pair of blue-eyed birds,” is a heart-warming lyric one simply can’t unstick. Though musically crowded and synthetically jumbled, at times, “Monkeys Uptown” also possesses a contagious effervescence, which seems to coin a theme on the album. By this point, a loyal listener is weighing out the pros and cons, while a new inductee into the Iron & Wine fan club is floating along, drinking in the full, robust sounds invading their auditory system.
A refreshing reminder, “Half Moon” is the most recognizable of Beam’s effort. His warm and inviting sonant over the distant country-drive twang of his guitar makes this a comfortable place-marker on the album. Not to say droning consistency doesn’t get stale, but listeners sometimes need a good point of reference to go by, record to record. “Half Moon” happens to be just that-- enough familiarity on which to keep going. “Rabbit Will Run” turns into more of a walk through the dark woods in the Age of Adz-- undoubtedly a nod to a reigning king of the awkward-indie genre, Sufjan Stevens. Taking it down a few notches the breathy ballad, “Godless Brother in Love,” has wonderful melodic compliments accompanied by soft piano accents that truly remind one of a mother’s warm embrace. Leaving just as softly as it entered, making a path for “Big Burned Hand.” A more soulful approach leads way into triumphing vocals, swaying in the staggering freedom of the bass line of this track. Playful sax overtones give way into trip-tastic synthesizer rises and falls, all the while the vocals even out to a lovely pace.
Sam’s voice rings honest and clear as night in “Glad Man Singing.” The infectiously dreamy back-vocals swoon along as the listener is carried through the poetic lyrical corridors. Toe-tapping and heart-wrenching all the same-- a pinnacle track, for sure. As the record wraps to “Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me,” more vigorous horn-styled melodies dance their way on out. Leading listeners into an up-beat, jazz hall number, but quickly slowing into a lonely guitar over crashing symbols, Beam chants, “Become the rising sun/We will become, become/Become the damage done/We will become, become/Become the river sway/We will become, become/Become the love we made/We will become, become ….”, building to a staggering chaos, then leveling off to leave the scene.
So while Kiss Each Other Clean may not be exactly what one expects or hopes for, don’t hang it out to dry without a nice sit-down. The liberal spread of interchanging synthesizers and smart saxophone add more depth to the more primitive Iron & Wine minimalistic folk intonation, while layered vocals give the album a fuller, more functional tonality. Speaking a new language to a broader audience will win some and lose some. Either way, just settle in and spin it again.
-Laura Hill, February 3, 2011