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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 SimonTrack Suggestion: "Rabbit Will Run"
