The Silver Sun Pickups

When I think about Miami the last thing that is on my mind is a guy who looks better suited in the deep south (circa 1932) then in an area that is known for it’s beaches, culture, and let’s not forget Miami Vice. The one man band that makes up Iron & Wine is Sam Beam. With the release of his new album The Shepherd’s Dog, and the recent performance on the Late Show with David Letterman, this Indie-folk artist is getting attention with one lightly well timed song at a time. Born and Raised mostly in South Carolina, Iron & Wine (Sam Beam) has been releasing music under the Sub Pop label since early 2002. Iron & Wine’s music is best described as a mix of folk, with respect to Simon and Garfunkel, and bluegrass all held together with almost a whisper like deliverance of lyrics.

Upon first listen, Iron & Wine’s music comes off as one mans first hand account of his journey through life. A theme not so uncommon, but when delivered, he is able to breath life into it. Before he was known as Iron & Wine, Sam Beam was a normal guy with a young family and was making a living as a film professor at the University of Miami. He only treated music as a hobby and didn’t really consider making much out of it. He went the way of “tape trading” to get his music out in the local Miami area. It wasn’t until he Caught the attention of Sub Pop’s label head that Iron & Wine moved from a local favorite to underground phenomenon. He then submitted two disks which would become his first release on Sub Pop, The Creek Drank The Cradle. It wasn’t soon after that he did a cover of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” on there yet to be released album Give Up.

A little under a year later he released The Sea And The Rhythm EP, which was is the same style of the creek, and consisted of tracks all done in Sam’s home studio in Miami. While he did a handful of dates in support for this album, he was busy writing his second full length release. His second full length release Our Endless Numbered Days, was considered by most to be a drastic change due to the fact that it was recorded at Engine studios in Chicago and was backed by a full band. While the sound was different from his previous releases, it showcased Iron & Wine’s ability to adapt and write an album that was different but still be familiar at the same time. It was with this release that Iron & Wine got a huge surge of recognition when his cover of “Such Great Heights” was featured on the Soundtrack to Garden State, as well as a run of advertisements for various companies.

In Early 2005 Iron & Wine released the Woman King EP, which was much in the same in same style as Our Endless Numbered Days, and featured more polished studio tracks. The EP was heavily debated as having religious undertones and a darker approach then his previously releases. That same year Iron and Wine collaborated with Tucson based Calexico to release In The Reins EP. The album was a mix of folk and alt-rock, and featured the signature Southwestern sound, which is a mix of tradition Mexican music and new rock. The album topped out at 135 on the Billboards top 200. Much of the music released after that were singles, some featuring his sister Sarah Beam on backing vocals, the most prominent being “Faded From The Winter”.

On deck in 2007 was another full release for Iron & Wine called The Shepherd’s Dog. The album was far removed from both Beam’s traditional musical style as well as lyrical content. In its entirety, the album played more like an atmospheric piece with a voice that is more timid and unsure then in previous releases, but serves to leave more of a chilling impression then the warm bodied content we have come to expect. There is no doubt that Iron & Wine(Sam Beam) is transforming his content to fit his ever changing style. If there is one thing to be said about him, it’s that he cannot be written off as a one trick Indie-folk artist. With every new EP and release we get another side of Sam, which makes us think what could be up his sleeve next. For those who miss his stripped down style that echo’s American gothic compositions, it can be said that he has not limited himself to one style and has taken the route of musical exploration, rather then topping out in one set style.