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Samuel Beam, in the guise of Iron And Wine, has been
known for his unique brand of acoustic guitar and banjo-heavy downbeat,
quiet music for what approaches half a decade now. On Woman King,
Beam makes a few changes to his trademark sound, and introduces his
sullen introspection to the voices of gritty distortion and alternative
percussions. Not to worry, long time fans, the songs are still quietly
wrought pieces of beauty and passion - the difference is in a bit
of sonic experimentation that increases the overall power of Beams
vocalizations.
The themes on Woman King are, as one would guess, related
to the fairer sex and her influence in the songwriter's life. Portraits
of woman as heroine, goddess, lover, and hated enemy are all found
in these six tracks, oftentimes finding more than one role into which
she fits. Each track has its own magical presence and intensely personal
statement. The captivating depth of "Woman King", filled
out with distorted guitars and an intensely rhythmic undercurrent,
is an immediate sign of Beam's continuing growth as a maturing songwriter.
Slide guitar nicely accents a deep, droning Memphis blues style on
"Freedom Hangs Like Heaven", and the full band sound of
"Evening On The Ground" is a testament to the careful arrangements
created by Beam. Lyrically, Woman King has moments of extreme
beauty to match the carefully woven guitars that continue to form
the base of Iron And Wine's musical repertoire. "Mary, Carry
your babe/ bound up tight like lips around a whimper/ your fingers
cover my face/ blind eyed Sampson driven to the temple…"
from "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" are lyrics as pervasive
and full of imagery as anything Paul Simon has ever written.
"My Lady's House" pays tribute to the lover and their sometimes-tenuous
relationship: "It is good in my lady's house/ every shape that
her body makes/ love is a fragile word/ in the air, on the length
we lay."
For those who are familiar with Iron And Wine, there will be no doubt
the importance of Woman King. For those that have never been
exposed to the pleasures of Samuel Beam's amazing songwriting and
downbeat instrumentation, Woman King would be the perfect place to
begin discovering the magic.
-David DeVoe
Track Listing:
1. Woman King
2. Jezebel
3. Gray Stables
4. Freedom Hangs Like Heaven
5. My Lady's House
6. Evening On The Ground (Lilith's Song)
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