On September 25, Sam Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, will release his third studio album The Shepherd’s Dog. The sound is Beam’s typical alt-country and folk style. The lyrics are still stunning. The instrumentation is still diverse. And his music continues to be some off the best solo stuff currently out there.

No two songs sound the same, yet all feature a complex beautiful sound. The album is also more experimental that Beam’s past efforts - as at times it feels like you are instead listening to Tom Waits. But that doesn’t at all mean the album isn’t good. It’s unique, but also exhibits the familiar sounds of today’s alt-country music.

Album highlights include the single “Boy with a Coin”, a catchy and fun, but busy song. The best way to describe it is as a experimental clap-a-long. “Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog)”, a collaboration with Calexico, seems to highlight Beam’s unique vocals in such a way that they come away sounding stunning.

In case you were wondering, the album is of course political. The title of the album’s last track “Flightless Bird American Mouth” says it all.

But in the end, it seems rather pointless to try and describe this album. It’s an acquired taste, yet so complex that words can accurately describe it. So my best advice is to just go and buy it.

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Boy With A Coin
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Categories: Album Reviews
Tags: Iron & Wine