If you’re like me, you first discovered folk singer Samuel Beam’s Iron & Wine through his seminal acoustic cover of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights,” which landed on the soundtrack to Zach Braff’s classic indie film, “Garden State.” It was a thoroughly subdued take on the electro-pop classic, and it set the stage well for Iron & Wine’s following years – somber tracks that were every bit as tense as they were starkly beautiful. For more than a decade, Iron & Wine’s stuck with this winning formula…until now.
Go to a random moment in Iron & Wine’s fifth album, Ghost on Ghost, and you’ll think for a moment you accidentally clicked on the wrong band. Is that a saxophone? Are those sixteenth notes? Is that … a drum solo? No, your ears haven’t failed you – despite its (possibly ironic) title, Ghost on Ghost is a bold step in a bright new direction, where acoustic atmospherics have been replaced by jazzy instrumentals and Beam’s characteristic meditations on love and death have made way for warm little slices of life from Anytown, U.S.A. It’s a wonderful mix that resembles folk-pop more than anything else, and if you’re planning a road trip to a national park anytime soon, Ghost on Ghost should find a happy home in your car stereo.
But let’s return to that drum solo, which graces the end of opener “Caught in the Briars.” After 20 seconds of studio noise and jamming, a friendly little acoustic guitar line pops in, and you can almost imagine the line being narrated over by some small town mayor for a tourism video: “Here in (insert town name), life moves a little slower, and we’re okay with it!” In any case, Beam’s voice jumps in just a few lines later, and largely does the job himself – as he mentions “South Carolina,” “kissing at the county fair” and “sinners” over a bright blend of horns and organ you can’t help but long for those days of small-town yesteryear, even if you never really experienced them in the first place.
It’s this kind of Americana Beam trots out so masterfully throughout Ghost on Ghost, as he name drops various landmarks spanning both coasts, and vividly crafts characters and settings for each of his four-minute-or-so folk-pop tunes. And it’s not all concept over substance – these songs are brimming with strong choruses, well-crafted harmonies and warm production values. They’ve also got a delightful sense of movement, with the aforementioned drum solo to opener “Caught in the Briars,” the burst of breakneck jazz-rock in “Lovers’ Revolution” and the sultry vocal fadeout to “Grass Widows” demonstrating Beam’s clever orchestration. As familiar as these songs feel, they always keep you guessing, and that might be Ghost on Ghost’s most admirable quality.
It’s difficult to point out any flaws to this record, which boasts a wonderful combination of early-career energy with an established sense of maturity. If anything, the low points might be the more traditional Iron & Wine slow takes (“Joy,” “Winter Prayers”) – Beam’s new direction is such a joy to behold that it’s tough to see these as any more than mere interludes. The album’s closer, “Baby Center Stage,” probably the most country-rock influenced cut on the album, also seems to be a slight misstep, and feels like a yawn in comparison to the electrifying “Lovers’ Revolution” which directly precedes it.
These, however, are slight faults to an otherwise thoroughly consistent record, which marks one of the most interesting stylistic turns in recent memory and stands as one of 2013’s most enjoyable records. With Ghost on Ghost, Iron & Wine is truly at the top of his game, and this record’s pleasing blend of jazz, folk and pop rock should work as a wonderful soundtrack to these sunny spring days.
