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