The vehicle of frontman Sam Beam’s hushed, honeyed vocals and magnificently preposterous facial hair, Iron and Wine has risen to become one of the great, albeit lesser-known indie bands.
Although some fans may be a little upset that Beam’s sound from his 2002 debut album “The Creek Drank the Cradle” is dead and gone, there is no need to lament. “Ghost on Ghost” may be markedly different, but it is a reason to rejoice.
The direction Iron and Wine is heading is new and refreshing. The soundscape is lush and rich, and Beam utilizes several instruments that he didn’t use earlier, such as pianos that are playing quietly in the background, to accompany his bourbon-smooth voice. “Ghost on Ghost” also employs backing vocals with gentle singing, and it is masterful in its execution.
Beam’s lyrical genius shines on tracks such as “Lovers’ Revolution,” where he soulfully croons, “I came to you, and you to me,” at the beginning of each verse, cohesively tying together the whole track. This music makes people reflect on where they’ve gone wrong on past relationships.
Beam’s smooth as silk vocals are ultimately the vehicle that launches and drives Iron and Wine’s success, and although his look may not add to any of his musical talents, it definitely adds to the band’s aesthetic of the emotionally wounded indie singer. Beam has managed to bring folk-rock to the main stage in “Ghost on Ghost.” Beam has been influenced by folk predecessors, such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, which shows on tracks like “Caught in the Briars” through his use of instrumentation and singing style.
With fewer songs on this album about topics such as death and betrayal than on past albums, Beam focuses more on topics like young love and joy. “Ghost on Ghost” is warmer in tone, and a happier album on the whole, which is exemplified in the song “Joy” when he sings, “Deep inside the heart of this crazy mess, I’m only calm when I get lost within your wilderness.” This romantic viewpoint on relationships is in stark contrast with Beam’s previous works on albums such as “The Shepherd’s Dog.”
“Ghost on Ghost” is the perfect album to listen to during a long road trip through national parks, or in fact in any setting. This album has only hints of melancholy at times, but is beautiful, in that it truly has the ability to convey those emotions with its enormous, and at times orchestral, scope.