Iron and Wine, composed solely of one Samuel Beam, is practically an Indie rock cliché. The recipe: A man, his 4-track, an acoustic guitar, in his kitchen. It's a simple mix, with all the DIY trappings that have been inelegantly replicated a thousand times before. Yet Iron and Wine delivers with this simple palette, a victory in the struggle of passion vs. process.

In the summer of 2002, Iron and Wine's debut The Creek Drank the Cradle was released on Sub Pop. A classic Indie label love story; Ben Bridwell (one time drummer for Seattle staple Clarissa's Weird, and childhood friend of Beam) brought Beam to the label's attention by passing out tapes locally. With the word on the street and Sub Pop's seductive persistence, Beam offered up two CDs of songs, pared down to one for release.

Beam hails from and records in Miami, Florida. The South laces throughout his whispered folk music, adding a flavor of languid weariness to every song. There's a reservoir of passion stored behind the appropriate ambiguity of Beam's words, a depth of meaning that finds its measure in repeated listening. Beam isn't in a hurry, but he's relentless.

Albums:
The Creek Drank the Cradle - 2002, Sub Pop

Other Contributions:
Such Great Heights (cover of a Postal Service song) - 2002, Such Great Heights (EP) - The Postal Service

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