Iron & Wine

[DvChWi]

Those of you who are following my list in 2004 music journals will notice that Iron & Wine's latest, Our Endless Numbered Days, has taken my number two spot for the year.  Why?  Thats what frustrates me.  I want to try to explain to everyone how great this album is, but I'm really having a hard time tryingto figuring out how to explain it.  At it's core, its just a simple, accoustic, indie-folk album, in the vein of Sufjan Stevens latest. Doesn't realy seem to remarkeable from that perspective. However, there's just something about how incredibly well it all comes together that I can't really get across in words. It's very subtle.  Anyone else heard this album?

EDIT:
Page with MP3's

[dgp11776]

I listened to some sound clips and thought, "Did they link to Seven Swans by mistake?"  I haven't done anything more than that, though.

[glatisant]

[DvChWi]

^That all sounds about right.^

[glatisant]

I wish I were more knowledgeable in the nuances and conventions of different musical genres.  As it were, most of what I write here are mere intuitive ramblings than analytical reviews.
Which are your favourite tracks on the album, DvChWi?  It's sort of hard for me to pick one, as the individual songs weave so seamlessly together despite differences of subject and shifts in mood.

For an example of Beam's lyricism, compare the following verses:
Love is a dress that you made
long to hide your knees
to to say this to your face.
"I'll love you only"
for your days and excitement,
what will you keep for to wear?
someday drawing you different,
may I be weaved in your hair?

Love and some verses you hear
say what you can't say
love to say this in your ear,
"I'll love you that way"
from your changing contentments,
what will you choose for to share?
someday drawing you different,
may I be weaved in your hair?

to this poem by Cummings:
Thy fingers make early flowers of
all things.
thy hair mostly the hours love:
a smoothness which
sings, saying
(though love be a day)
do not fear, we will go amaying.

thy whitest feet crisply are straying.
Always
thy most eyes are at kisses playing,
whose strangeness much
says; singing
(though love be a day)
for which girl art though flowers bringing?

To be thy lips is a sweet thing
and small.
Death, Thee i call rich beyond wish
if this thou catch,
else missing.
(though love be a day
and life be nothing, it shall not stop kissing).

[DvChWi]

Which are your favourite tracks on the album, DvChWi?  It's sort of hard for me to pick one, as the individual songs weave so seamlessly together despite differences of subject and shifts in mood.

I have a similiar "problem", but I think I I had to pick just a few, they would be:
"On Your Wings"
"Free Until The Cut Me Down"
"Fever Dream"

[murlough23]

I just listened to this last night, and I enjoyed the overall sound of it, though I was pretty exhausted and it was the last thing I listened to before hitting the hay. I'll need to listen again to decide how I feel about lyrics and stuff. But my first impression was positive overall, even if a lot of it did start to sound the same towards the end (I felt that way about Seven Swans at first, too).

[DvChWi]

I just listened to this last night, and I enjoyed the overall sound of it, though I was pretty exhausted and it was the last thing I listened to before hitting the hay. I'll need to listen again to decide how I feel about lyrics and stuff. But my first impression was positive overall, even if a lot of it did start to sound the same towards the end (I felt that way about Seven Swans at first, too).

So, I see this is on your top ten right now.  Has anyone else had a chance to hear this one yet?  It's been in regular rotation for me since I bought it, and I still love it.

[murlough23]

So, I see this is on your top ten right now.

It's there more by default because the other lower denizens of the Top 10 were enjoyable albums that had a few serious flaws in terms of consistency. I&W's CD is reasonably consistent; the only song I don't really care for is "Radio War". There are a few other songs that blend together in my mind, and I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy the album, but for the most part, this is quality folk music. "Fever Dream" is an absolutely beautiful track that will probably get overlooked by most because it's so far back in the album. And I love the vocal layering on "Cinders and Snoke". "Love and Some Verses" is also quite delicious.

[bloop]

I listened to it, but never closely enough to even give it a rank or grade.  I'll have to give it another try - I don't think my mood was right for that kind of music at the time.

[Josh]

I'm having a hard time deciding on a rating or a ranking for this album.

That's because I enjoy it more with each listen. Most of these songs become richer and more beautiful every time I hear them.

Great stuff. It's sure to make my Top 20 for this year... I'm just not sure where yet. We shall see.

[murlough23]

I'm having a hard time deciding on a rating or a ranking for this album.

That's because I enjoy it more with each listen. Most of these songs become richer and more beautiful every time I hear them.

I felt that way at first, too. Then I came to realize that this album sucks. At least, in the sense that it sucks me in more and more every time I listen to it. (Alright, that was corny. I apologize.)

As a matter of fact, my favorite track (Fever Dream) is one I didn't really notice at first. The most noticeable track at first was probably "Cinder and Smoke", which remains one of my favorites. Other choice cuts for me are "Love and SOme Verses", "On Your Wings", and "Free Until They Cut Me Down".

[glatisant]

Re: "Fever Dream": I'm not sure how Sam Beam managed to pull off a line like "I want your flowers like babies want God's love" without drowning in the treacle, but he somehow made it work.

My favourite track at the moment is "Sodom, South Georgia"--the lilting, brook-like melody (versus something sharper-edged like "Free Until They Cut Me Down," another favourite) combines with the word-imagery for a eeriness that's somehow warm and familiar at the same time.

Papa died Sunday and I understood
all dead white boys say, "god is good"
white tongues hang out, "god is good"

and sodom, south georgia
slept on an acre of bones
slept through christmas
slept like a bucket of snow

You can almost sniff a short story in there (Faulkner, perhaps, or Flannery O'Connor?).

I also like "Passing Afternoon" quite a bit, probably because I'm a sucker for lyrics that scan as well as rhyme, however loosely.  These are the last two tracks, though, so I'm afraid they'll get overlooked as well, especially since the overall mood is pretty much sustained throughout the album.

Question: Did anyone buy the version with bonus tracks?  How were the b-sides?

And is anyone going to do a review?  Josh?  David?

[murlough23]

And is anyone going to do a review?  Josh?  David?

Hopefully before the year is out. It is in my Top 10 so far.

NP: "The World You Love", Jimmy Eat World

[Josh]

I have a dispiritingly vast number of albums that I want to review by the end of the year. So while I'd love to write a piece on Iron and Wine for my site, first I have to get through Joseph Arthur, and Tom Waits, and Buddy Miller, and Ben Harper, and and and and and...

[murlough23]

I have a dispiritingly vast number of albums that I want to review by the end of the year. So while I'd love to write a piece on Iron and Wine for my site, first I have to get through Joseph Arthur, and Tom Waits, and Buddy Miller, and Ben Harper, and and and and and...

I'll put it in my queue after Modest Mouse, Jimmy Eat World, and Caedmon's Call.

I also want to finish my U2 back catalogue project before Atomic Bomb releases in November... I've been at this for over a year now!

[Josh]

I finally settled on a ranking for this album in my Top 20 list: #7.

But it still might move up a place or two. Man, what a beautiful album... it just gets richer with every listen.

[Aaron]

Do they have any mp3's or clips online?

[murlough23]

I finally settled on a ranking for this album in my Top 20 list: #7.

But it still might move up a place or two. Man, what a beautiful album... it just gets richer with every listen.

It's somewhere around there on my list, too. It keeps creeping up.

[murlough23]

Finally reviewed this:

http://www.epinions.com/content_161322339972

[danny316]

Do they have any mp3's or clips online?

http://www.subpop.com/scripts/main/bands_p...page.php?id=403

music.download.com has some of his stuff as well.  

[glatisant]

Thanks for the review.  That was worth the wait.  

[Josh]

Now, Looking Closer has posted a brief review.

[Josh]

Pitchfork has reviewed the new EP!

[murlough23]

Ah. Pitchfork has decided they like Iron & Wine again because he remembered to say "f*ck" this time.

[Josh]

Ah. Pitchfork has decided they like Iron & Wine again because he remembered to say "f*ck" this time.

Huh? They liked his last album, and he didn't say that word there...

[murlough23]

Looks to me like they criticized the record for being too nice, though they did give it a higher score than I remember.

[Josh]

Looks to me like they criticized the record for being too nice, though they did give it a higher score than I remember.

Well, I didn't actually take the time to read the review (what's the point-- it's Pitchfork!), but a rating of 8.6 hardly qualifies as disliking the album. Heck, it's even higher than the new EP received...

[murlough23]

Well, I didn't actually take the time to read the review (what's the point-- it's Pitchfork!), but a rating of 8.6 hardly qualifies as disliking the album. Heck, it's even higher than the new EP received...

It was probably a rather minor criticism. I saw the opportunity to make a dig at Pitchfork, but it was unfounded, so never mind. I need to go make peace with Pitchfork.

NP: "In My Arms Again", Michael W. Smith

[dgp11776]

Ah. Pitchfork has decided they like Iron & Wine again because he remembered to say "f*ck" this time.

I wonder why it's so "cool" to write songs with that word in it?  It honestly makes me lose respect, because, usually, it seems like it's just added for shock value.

[murlough23]

I wonder why it's so "cool" to write songs with that word in it?  It honestly makes me lose respect, because, usually, it seems like it's just added for shock value.

I suggested that once and got my hand slapped for it. I think it does seem to those of us who find the word offensive that people just use it to sound cool and rebellious and poetic in an angsty sort of way. But look at it in perspective - to some folks, it's just another word.

However, I think the use of the word does alter some people's perception of a song - it either makes the song worthless to them, or they hoot and holler because someone dared to break "the rules". (Substitute it with "Jesus" and you get the way things work in Christian concerts.)

[bloop]

Well, I didn't actually take the time to read the review (what's the point-- it's Pitchfork!)

Actually, Amanda is a pretty decent writer over there, and she's only gotten better, but there are others as well.  Seriously, in terms of addressing the music itself, some of the writers there do better than people here.  

Others do much much worse at addressing the record at all, however, but Pitchfork isn't a singular writing entity and one would do well to remember to note the signature.  

I don't remember a criticism about Beam's music being too nice (they liked it quite a bit from the beginning), but I think they did take back their original review of Sufjan Steven's Michigan album, but I'm not sure about that.

I believe I was that hand-slapper, so I'll write concerning "that word".  It usually is there for shock value, but
1  sometimes shock is the appropriate response to a given situation.
2  sometimes that isn't its purpose at all, so it's generally lame to come in with that assumption.
3  it is only another word.  It is not demonstrably evil.

Take your pick.

[Josh]

Actually, Amanda is a pretty decent writer over there, and she's only gotten better, but there are others as well.

Indeed, Amanda is my favorite of their writers. She also writes for PASTE, which automatically makes her cool.

Seriously, in terms of addressing the music itself, some of the writers there do better than people here.

Pitchfork, to me, is an amusing publication that is often helpful when you're trying to decide whether or not to buy a certain record, but, truthfully, I don't think they contribute much to critical dialogue. Their reviews are very surface-deep, and, while they are good at describing music, they offer little to the critical community in terms of insight, analysis, or interpretation. In other words, they are focused mostly on whether or not album X is worth buying, not on what makes album X tick or what album X might mean in terms of its composition and its lyrics. In that regard, most of the Pitchfork writers are very similar to... well, frankly, Epinions.com writers, albeit much more skilled at communicating.
 

[murlough23]

1  sometimes shock is the appropriate response to a given situation.

That's true, but it's probably not appropriate to every context in which the word appears. Bono singing about a "f*cked up world" makes sense - it's meant to shock and it does it quite well. Saying that "I have no f*cking idea" or using it as a synonym for casual sex is gratuitous, in my opinion. The word means rough, usually forced sex. To me it denotes sex that is not in its proper context - it's either a quick lay, or it's not concensual for one of the parties involved. Either way, there's not a lot of love involved. If that's what you're singing about, or if your metaphor is about something that reall is that "f*cked up" that it seems like it's been mercilessly raped or whatever, then I can understand the usage of the word. I don't think it should be thrown around lightly.

2  sometimes that isn't its purpose at all, so it's generally lame to come in with that assumption.

It's a word that gets a lot of attention when used, and I've seen it used just to get a rise out of people. While I can't assume that this is every artist's intent, as I said above, I don't think it's a word that should be taken lightly. Whether or not it is being used intentionally as a means of defying "the rules" or censorship or whatever, I think a lot of people do focus on how cool it was that someone was daring enough to say "f*ck", and then can often lose the overall meaning.

3  it is only another word.  It is not demonstrably evil.

But I believe that it describes something which is evil. It's roughly synonymous with "rape", which you can say without being censored. However, I wouldn't go throwing that word around either. I wouldn't go around saying "This is raping awesome!" or anything, because there's just no need for such a description to be used in that context. Rape and f*cking are not good things.

I'm not going to condemn an artist for using the word. If the word is used repeatedly and gratuitously, I'm likely to not come back for repeat listens. If it's once in a while (along with other words which describe unsavory things) and in its proper context, I usually don't make much noise about it other than to warn people who are offended by it that the word is present.

NP: "Eternal", P.O.D. feat. Phil Keaggy

[Josh]

It's a word that gets a lot of attention when used, and I've seen it used just to get a rise out of people. While I can't assume that this is every artist's intent, as I said above, I don't think it's a word that should be taken lightly. Whether or not it is being used intentionally as a means of defying "the rules" or censorship or whatever, I think a lot of people do focus on how cool it was that someone was daring enough to say "f*ck", and then can often lose the overall meaning.

Yes. It's a very strong word, and to use it lightly or inappropriately is demonstrative of a weak vocabulary and an overall level of immaturity.

I agree with bloop when he says that the word is not inherently evil. Like any other word, though, it CAN be used the wrong way.

[bloop]

Their reviews are very surface-deep, and, while they are good at describing music, they offer little to the critical community in terms of insight, analysis, or interpretation. In other words, they are focused mostly on whether or not album X is worth buying, not on what makes album X tick or what album X might mean in terms of its composition and its lyrics.

While this is all largely true, this is also important to the critical dialog.  Not everyone needs to analyze lyrics to death (although PF does given certain writers), and no one here analyzes composition very deeply either.  Murlough probably comes closest there.  Going into composition in depth is largely missing from the critical dialog in general because most critics are simply not qualified to talk about that aspect.

[bloop]

That's true, but it's probably not appropriate to every context in which the word appears. Bono singing about a "f*cked up world" makes sense - it's meant to shock and it does it quite well. Saying that "I have no f*cking idea" or using it as a synonym for casual sex is gratuitous, in my opinion. The word means rough, usually forced sex. To me it denotes sex that is not in its proper context - it's either a quick lay, or it's not concensual for one of the parties involved. Either way, there's not a lot of love involved. If that's what you're singing about, or if your metaphor is about something that reall is that "f*cked up" that it seems like it's been mercilessly raped or whatever, then I can understand the usage of the word. I don't think it should be thrown around lightly.

"I have no f*cking idea" or even "f*cked up" doesn't connote rough, forced sex or sex at all (although either could be given a double-meaning, most of the time they mean "I have no *some other modifier* idea" and "messed up".  It's a problem with interpreting meaning then, basically.

It's a word that gets a lot of attention when used, and I've seen it used just to get a rise out of people. While I can't assume that this is every artist's intent, as I said above, I don't think it's a word that should be taken lightly. Whether or not it is being used intentionally as a means of defying "the rules" or censorship or whatever, I think a lot of people do focus on how cool it was that someone was daring enough to say "f*ck", and then can often lose the overall meaning.

I don't think so only because the word just isn't as off-limits as it once was - it doesn't have that special place anymore.  The censorship game is over except on TV and in Wal-Mart.

But I believe that it describes something which is evil. It's roughly synonymous with "rape", which you can say without being censored. However, I wouldn't go throwing that word around either. I wouldn't go around saying "This is raping awesome!" or anything, because there's just no need for such a description to be used in that context. Rape and f*cking are not good things.

"This is f*cking awesome" roughly means "this is quite awesome" (or very, or extremely).  It would never even cross my mind that it would mean "This is raping awesome".

In any event, Pitchfork's review worked as I'm intrigued about the new I&W EP anyway (although that "post basement" comment at the end was too much .    =D )

[murlough23]

Just because it doesn't cross your mind doesn't mean that the usage of the word didn't stem from its original meaning, though. I think that's actually the problem - people throw the word around without caring what it means.

[bloop]

No, I'm saying that you're taking a meaning that it has in a particular context and inappropriately applying it to all contexts.  The words don't even connote that kind of thing when used that way.  You don't have to be raping brilliant to figure that out!

[murlough23]

No, I'm saying that you're taking a meaning that it has in a particular context and inappropriately applying it to all contexts.  The words don't even connote that kind of thing when used that way.  You don't have to be raping brilliant to figure that out!

We're talking about a colloquial use of a word that may be removed from the word's original meaning, but how did that usage come about? Why would someone ever insert the word into a sentence in the first place, considering its origin?