Iron and Wine

Around The Well

Sub Pop

March 25th, 2009

There are 23 songs collected on this new release from Sam Beam called Around the Well. Beam's original indie-country classics of Iron and Wine pull at your heartstrings while you feel as though you’re floating on a canoe ride. This collection runs a full span of unreleased early works from The Creek Drank the Cradle and more outtakes from 2007's The Shepherd's Dog. Among these recordings are the basement home recordings you would expect from Beam, but the second half of this record plays into a more studio feel with unreleased collaborations (thankfully not Calexico) with various friends he's been a part of in movies along with rare covers of The
Flaming Lips and New Order songs. My personal favorite being Beam's Stereolab Peng cover that's reminecent of his Postal Service quiet prowess tributes that's slowed down so aptly while maintaining these songs integrity. Around the Well feels like a best of mixed tape your friend made for you on your reunion with your solemate. It ranges in ethereal energy sampler all the eras’ medleys since 2002 original Iron and Wine spirit.

-Jon Ehinger

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