Australia has long shared a strong bond with US indie folk outfit Iron and Wine – the vehicle for awesomely bearded, Texas based singer-songwriter Samuel Beam – but it’s an affinity that’s undergone a gradual transformation over the years, shifting in sync with the ongoing evolution of Iron and Wine’s own beautiful brand of Americana.
First coming to our attention back in 2002 with the hushed majesty of debut album The Creek Drank The Cradle, released on the illustrious Sub Pop label and Iron and Wine’s home for their first three records, in subsequent years the band’s sound has stretched out slowly but surely from its humble bedroom project beginnings into a whole new and comparatively vivid proposition. This shift unveiled itself firstly with In The Reins (the 2005 collaboration with the likeminded and colourful Calexico collective), then with the added instrumentation which adorned 2007’s The Shepherd’s Dog, the relatively slick pop nous of 2011’s Kiss Each Other Clean – which debuted at Number 2 on the US Billboard chart – and now with acclaimed fifth album, Ghost On Ghost.
Ghost On Ghost is a different beast again to its predecessors, although at its core it feels like a natural extension of the Iron and Wine oeuvre. The prevalent horn section (abetted beautifully by occasional string flourishes) which reins throughout gives proceedings a ‘60s-tinged soul inflection, a vibe which occasionally drifts into ‘70s classic rock territory where it feels completely at home. Beam’s voice is prominent in the mix, illuminating his resolutely strong lyrics, shadowed by lovely female harmonics for the duration giving proceedings a retro feel while still remaining firmly rooted in the now.
And while we know full well from previous visits, including a sold out tour in 2009, Iron and Wine is a fearsome proposition in the live vista (often in the quietest sense of the term). In April they will bring the lush Ghost On Ghost material to life. A version of which has been slaying crowds overseas since the album’s release – promises to take these near-spiritual gatherings to a higher plane yet again, a mouth-watering proposition for any existing fan or recent convert to the Iron and Wine realm.
If you believe that you’ve seen all that Iron and Wine has to offer onstage in the past, think again – this tour promises to show this already revered outfit in a whole new light!
Iron & Wine – April 2014 tour
Tuesday April 22 – Melbourne – Forum Theatre – SOLD OUT!
Support by D.D Dumbo.
Wednesday April 23 – Sydney – Sydney Opera House – SELLING FAST!