Iron & Wine

Iron & Wine: Beast Epic

In this review over Beast Epic by Philip Cosores, he starts by stating, “Sam Beam brings Iron & Wine full circle on his sixth album, using the warm acoustic instrumentation of his early work and some of the most moving singing if his career”. Cosores is showing favor toward this album, he makes it clear that Iron & Wine have changed their style of music but Cosores seemed to really appreciate his new form of art through his newest album. For example, Cosores explains, “ “Such Great Heights” helped broaden a genre where breathy acoustic folk and pulsing radio-ready synth pop could be flip sides of the same coin.” Meaning, Cosores really compared his older albums to his newer-Beast Epic-, but explains how both are warm, acoustic, and moving. In the next paragraph he even mentions, “... but that record’s glitchy electronic moments, Motown horn sections, and Jame Taylor- breeziness all worked to divorce Beam from the humble songwriting he’d became known for”. Next Philip Cosores states, “So when Beast Epic opens with a few seconds of Beam counting off under his breath and gently tapping the rhythm on the body of his acoustic guitar, it’s like wrapping a warm blanket around a cold body”, which immediately tell us, as readers, that this album is moving, and comforting like Cosores mentioned in the beginning of review. Finally, Cosores says, “This paves the road for the aged wisdom he imparts in his reflective lyrics, as ideas pirouette with the grace Beam has learned” implying that the lyrics and the feel for the album have an emotional, moving pull towards the listener(s). In my opinion this album has an emotional pull by the soft beats and grasping tune. It comes in harmony with any mood or feeling. Bringing a peaceful surrounding to any place. This album has not compared to his past albums, I agree. It’s uniqueness was too much to comprehend coming from Iron and Wine.Their older music is much more hazed voiced, dreary- but not-, with hippies singing. The album, Our Endless Numbered Days, has more of what Iron and Wine is really known for, the Sub Pop -with some Indie Pop I’d say. When Cosores mentions how his music is like a warm blanket I understood, I always think of my dad smoking his Tobacco pipe, watching the sports channel on an old box TV, eating chocolate covered almonds. The music brings the same feeling of joy and contentment as I did back then spending time with my dad as a kid. From Our Endless Numbered Days, “Cinder and Smoke” is probably the most influential and calming to me. “Each Night Coming” is another favorite, I enjoy the constant guitar in the background with the same mellow beats that constantly and evenly flow together. I discovered Iron and Wine at Half Priced Books, I saw their album and enjoyed the names of the songs, that's usually how I buy records if I do not know a band. The covers maybe creative but is the song itself also creative and enjoyable? Most of my records tend to be more alternative or indie gene, the record section for that is fairly broad so I more than likely always find something good when I buy a record not even listening to it first. Some record stores have a record out so you can try it before you buy it but I like the small thrill of not knowing what I am getting.