Customer Reviews

Kiss Each Other Clean

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I've been listening to Iron and Wine since the start, and its hard to remember a summer night on the porch without The Creed drank the Cradle getting some play time. I loved the delicate organic feel, and the strength and restraint the writing used.

I've began to realize as I get older, that the music I used to love is slowly dying. Another user mentioned bands falling apart, or taking a step in a new direction as the years go on. And I'd have to agree, as hearing this album in this state has brought on the feeling of a candle finally burning itself out.

I had heard parts of the album performed in an acoustic session NPR over the last few weeks. The performances lacked all of this "clutter" that this album seems to have. The writing may not have been as strong as previous albums and EPs, but it still had that raw sound that I really enjoyed. Once the CD finally arrived, I found myself checking to see if it actually was the right one.

What are these sounds? Why are they here? When they performed in studio the music was free from all of this sampling, editing and mixing. Why are there sound effects? Obviously these stray sounds were not important enough to include in a live set, and I feel that they only bury the real music.

I appreciate an artist taking steps to explore other areas and methods to make good music. I just hoped that even with a new larger label, Sam Beam would have had the restraint he used in his earlier lyric crafting and applied it to the overall sound. This album reminds me of the first time I saw a "build your own sundae" buffet. I was so eager to try all of the sprinkles, syrups, bits of pineapple etc, that I ended up with an uneatable mess. I feel that that same may apply to this "new direction".

I've listened to it almost constantly since it's release, desperately trying to find some way to like it, but each and every time it ends I don't. Perhaps It's just me, as everyone can have their own opinion, but I spent some of the best years of my life living with an Iron and Wine album playing in the background. I hoped for another album that grew on those times, but instead this album serves only to remind me that those times are gone.

Iron & Wine's Sam Beam may have gotten his start as a soft-spoken folk genius, but he has long since shed that cocoon and emerged as a first-rate pop songwriter. On 2007's The Shepherd's Dog, Beam showcased his interest in breaking out from the confines of "folk" music and created a clever, well-paced, but still quite beautiful pop album. He dropped some folksy gems, of course, such as Flightless Bird and Resurrection Fern, but the record was steeped far more in the twangy sound of the South than the hushed chords of the mountains and forests.

Beam has always had a sort of fetishist affiliation with the South, but it has come up front at full force on Kiss Each Other Clean, incorporating more twang and a bluesier overall feel, as evidenced by the rough grit of the opening and closing tracks, both of which showcase a distorted, psychedelic guitar swirl. Soft synthesizer keys appear all over the record, adding texture and softness to some of the rougher-sounding tracks. The instrumentation on the album is incredibly varied, showcasing horns, strings, keys, a slew of different percussive instruments, and more. Beam is nothing if not a premier champion of melody and songwriting, and his considerable talents are running on all cylinders on this album. On top of that, his vocals are particularly excellent, running from forceful chants to whispered hymns with ease.

The production on the record is clean, and as described by Beam, evokes a kind of 70's FM sound akin to Elton John and Fleetwood Mac, thanks in large part to the instrumental variety (and the truly wonderful synth textures.) Anyone who has been following Beam thus far is guaranteed to enjoy this record, but those that felt The Shepherd's Dog was a step in the wrong direction will be further disappointed with Kiss Each Other Clean.

I've spent all weekend and most of last week with this cd. It has been a long time since I have done this, but I have hardly listened to anything else.
It is a cd where every song could be your favorite song, I've had a different song as my favorite for the last four days. The coda of "Your fake name" hooked me first, then the absolute, pure beauty of "godless brother" got me, then "Glad man singing", then "Tree by the river"...
I have listened to I&W since the first cd came out and this cd, though a departure, makes me feel the same way that all of the others before did. These songs make me want to do things that I've never done and make me remember things that I have.
The negative response to this album is fascinating and makes me think that this is what it felt during the Dylan-going-electric days. I am glad that Dylan went electric, and I am glad that SB made this cd. This cd proves that Sam Beam is probably the best songwriter out there right now. Seriously.

I usually don't write reviews, but I love Iron & Wine. The thing is, this IS a good album. The writing and Sam Beam's work is exemplary as always, and I like the songs themselves a lot. The problem is that it's just too damn overproduced. If you listen to it and imagine the songs less produced, you can imagine another terrific Iron & Wine album, right? All the little sound effects and excessive backround singing and stuff....it's just overkill. I'm not saying that it needs to be just Sam Beam and his guitar, although I love that too. I'm definitely open-minded and I'm all for artists trying new things, but this is just too much. When I listen to it I want to just peel all the crap off. I hope he tones all that stuff down on the next album. I think his fans like him partially BECAUSE of the lack of all that production nonsense we've come to loathe with other 'artists'...it's no wonder this album just seems off.

Just wanted to throw my support behind this album after reading some of the reviews. I like Iron & Wine's earlier work and I like this new album just as much. True, it has different instrumentation from past efforts, but the musicians' talent is still there in force. And artists that don't grow and evolve become tedious, so phooey on the people who only want to hear the same stuff over and over again. This music really branches out and soars: creative, intriguing, melodious and highly enjoyable. I'd expect this album to end up in this year's top 25 list. I've been listening to this, over and over, since I got it and it's well worth the money. For people who like folk, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Eleni Mandell and Andrew Bird.

Painter. Father. Filmmaker. Beard grower. College professor. Writer and songsmith. Sam "Iron and Wine" Beam's story is an impressive one about a middle class boy who had a normal youth and excellent college-age career. Following grad school, Beam taught film and cinematography at one of the nation's better film schools, all along writing and self-recording barebones songs on a modest four track recorder. More recently, the closing track from Beam's third proper studio album, The Shepherd's Dog, titled "Flightless Bird, American Moth," played during the pivotal moment of a blockbuster film called Twilight. That very cinematic-sounding song (as many of Beam's works are, notch) is, I'd bet, the one that did it. And by "did it," I mean that it's the one that moved Iron and Wine from indie favorite to the Best Buy end cap circuit.

His songs also featured in Garden State, "House, M.D.," "The OC," "Friday Night Lights," "90210," "Grey's Anatomy" and so on, I suppose it was just a matter of time before the big boys (in this case, Warner Bros. Records, home to The Flaming Lips and Built to Spill) came with a bag of money and promises. Having started out as a simple singer/songwriter whose work brought to mind Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, Beam has progressed very much over the years, the result being Kiss Each Other Clean, an at-times huge sounding record that expands on the sonic palate of The Shepherd's Dog, a very good record in its own right. (Note: Beam did release an often incredible double compilation record called Around the Well in between the releases of Dog and Kiss.)

Opener "Walking Far From Home" is a serious sonic treat, featuring another very cinematic arrangement and vocals that make us believe Beam to be quite the fan of Josh Ritter. Featuring haunting background vocal arrangements, meaty piano, swirling keyboards, tossed-about ornamental elements (think Tom Waits, kinda) and some seriously epic moves, the song kicks things off very impressively, instantly standing as not just one of the best ever Iron and Wine works, but one of the most interesting and unique compositions of recent memory.

And it goes on from there: fully baked sonic arrangements that rarely repeat ideas, doing all they can to properly ornament Beam's always-great lyrics and vocals. Sure, at times the production feels like the kind that will soon enough sound dated to the fads of its era (Dog had the same issue). And sure, this record wouldn't exist without Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or Castanets, but who cares - this is a very solid, very rewarding record with some serious growing power. Highlights? Too many to mention. In a still-young career full of great songs, Kiss Each Other Clean almost feels like a second wind sort of record in that it's so fully formed and, well, redefining. For his first trip to the big leagues, Beam has done alright, making a big, balls-y indie songwriter record that is similar in spirit - though much more listenable - to Sufjan Stevens' great The Age of Adz. Not quite the radical big label jump that Built to Spill's Perfect From Now On was, but somewhere in that ballpark.

Samuel Beam, the singer/songwriter behind the name Iron & Wine, has been on an exceptionally impressive musical journey since his debut record "The Creek Drank the Cradle" was released in 2002. Starting with Sub Pop Records, Sam Beam's style began as almost exclusively acoustic guitar and vocals with the occasional slide guitar or banjo thrown in for a change of pace. With the exception of the mastering, every remaining aspect of "The Creek Drank the Cradle," including writing, performing, recording, and mixing was controlled by Beam.

As the years passed by, however, Beam began to enlist some assistance while his compositions expanded. One such partnership led to 2004's "In the Reins," where Beam teamed up with Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico. Most notably, however, producer and engineer Brian Deck, who has worked on such classic recordings as Josh Ritter's "Animal Years" and Modest Mouse's "Moon & Antarctica," added his hand to both of Iron & Wine's next two non-collaborative efforts and is back again for "Kiss Each Other Clean." Now, seemingly the final step in Beam's transformation, Iron & Wine's "Kiss Each Other Clean" is his latest studio release since 2007's "The Shepherd's Dog" and the first on a major label, Warner Brothers Records.

When ""The Shepherd's Dog" was released, critics and fans alike sang its praises, but neither group could have predicted an even more exploratory sound in Iron & Wine's future. "Kiss Each Other Clean" opens with "Walking Far From Home." As a veil of heavy distortion is slowly pulled away, Sam Beam offers a beautiful blend of his old and new style. The synthesized bass of "Me and Lazarus" offers a much better preparation for the experiments in store for listeners, but "Walking Far From Home" gently eases fans into this latest offering from one of the most creative artists of today.

One of the most creative moments of the album is "Rabbit Will Run." Capturing an Afro-Caribbean percussive style and blending it with `70s style guitars and organ, flute, drums, whistles and a host of other instruments, the constant of Beam's lyrical prowess always manages to shine through.

The apex of the album's genre bending occurs on "Big Burned Hand." The man whose vocals were once frequently whispered are now sung out and distorted. The acoustic guitar is traded for a funky electric guitar, powerful jazz sax, organ, piano, a host of percussion and the occasional DJ synth effect. To place the song in a single category would be near impossible, but Sam Beam's talent shines in keeping the track undeniably his own. Although the transition from the gentle tones of "Godless Brother in Love" to "Big Burned Hand" is a rocky one to say the least, the song's catchiness easily overpowers any confusion.

Finally, as the album comes to a close with the seven minute epic "Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me," Beam gradually turns chaotic faucet back on before an abrupt fade out. For the duration of the album, "Kiss Each Other Clean" never follows a formula. Beam shows the world he still had plenty of new and creative ideas after "The Shepherd's Dog" and Brian Deck proves to be the perfect engineer for the project with his masterful grasp of layering a mix. Sam Beam is hardly the lo-fi artist he introduced himself as in 2002, but you won't hear any complaints from his fans.

Similar Artists: Ray LaMontagne, Paul Simon
Track Suggestion: "Rabbit Will Run"

If you want every Iron & Wine album to sound the same, you will be disappointed. If you are excited to experience a brilliant writer and performer as he explores new ground, you should love this album.

Recipe for Kiss Each Other Clean:
Sam Beam's amazing pop/folk songwriting
The confidant voice of an artist who is ready to push himself into new territory
An intentional nod to the sensibilities of 60's and 70's pop music
A splash of the noise influences of Modest Mouse, Radiohead, Jack White
A possible nod to electronic influenced pop/folk from Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens

While I love the intimate rawness of I&W's early recordings like The Creek Drank the Cradle and the polished sad beauty of Our Endless Numbered Days and Around the Well, I am thrilled by the newest change. Some people will hate the strong use of electronic instruments and vocal processing, regardless of how deftly Sam wields these tools to add a new palette of color to his musical portraits.

I am never let down by Mr. Sam Beam - great album, great lyrics, and can't get Tree By the River outa my head. If you have a chance, go to this concert!!

I was a little disappointed after hearing this album performed live on All Songs Considered and KCRW. The extra "production" on the recording distracted at times from the vocal performance and lyrics. Overall, though, a really nice listen.