Iron & Wine Kiss Each Other Clean (4AD)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
Sam "Iron & Wine" Beam's tenacious determination to avoid being pigeon-holed as just another softly-spoken balladeer sees him veering further off-piste on his four album, although Kiss Each Other Clean hardly represents a serious fanbase-alienating volte-face.
Granted, 'Me & Lazarus' and 'Big Burning Hand' couple jazzy saxophones with the wonky pop rhythms of XTC. But 'Half Moon' and the piano-led nostalgic reverie of 'Godless Brother In Love' tread more familiar fragile folk-rock ground, and 'Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me' echoes the haunting soft rock of kindred spirits Midlake.
The hirsute Beam has clearly got reliable credentials in this respect, and material that might feel trite and mushy in the wrong hands like 'Tree By The River' ('Maryanne, do you remember the tree by the river when we were 17?') never falls victim to schmaltz.
Whether it's all sufficient to fast-track Beam alongside the returning Fleet Foxes remains to be seen, but KEOC represents a significant step forward.
Walking Far From Home-Iron and Wine-Kiss Each other Clean by HSUGreen
Artists in this article: Iron & Wine
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