Iron & Wine

March 22, 2004 at PST

Our Endless Numbered Days

Little did Sam Beam—then a Miami-based university professor with filmmaking ambitions—know that Our Endless Numbered Days would take off the way that it did. Shortly after releasing his debut album in 2002, The Creek Drank the Cradle, Beam became a notable presence in an indie-folk movement—alongside artists like Damien Rice and The Mountain Goats—that favored form-fitting simplicity. Having self-recorded Creek with minimal resources, Beam expanded his instrumental expression with his 2004 follow-up, backing his somber, fingerpicking performances with string arrangements and touches of Delta blues.

Hollywood quickly took notice, and it didn’t take long for his spare, wistful lullabies to feature on prime-time TV shows like House M.D. and Grey’s Anatomy. His calming eloquence may sound easy on the ears set against dramatic scenes, but Beam’s Southern Gothic-inspired narratives were much more thoughtful than what was on the surface. “Cinder and Smoke” and “Each Coming Night,” while softened with gentle banjo-picking and acoustic guitar, use natural imagery to tell intimate accounts of personal ruin and renewal. At the same time, Beam could draw from memories of his Christian upbringing on the iridescent “Sodom, South Georgia,” adopting dark, Faulkner-like storytelling about the cyclical nature of life and death.

And then there’s the undeniably romantic “Naked As We Came,” which brought to mind the stripped-down beauty of cult British artist Nick Drake. The song’s success catapulted Our Endless Numbered Days to reach certified Gold status for seminal indie label Sub Pop. It allowed Beam to dream even bigger on 2007’s The Shepherd’s Dog, trading pastoral folk for a fuller and progressive sound backed by an eight-piece band. While he continued to evolve as an artist past Days, its influence continued to be felt into the late aughts, foretelling the folk-rock resurgence popularized by the likes of Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons.

12 Tracks

August 24, 2017 at PDT

Beast Epic

After a couple of collaborative albums—one with singer/songwriter Jessica Hoop, another, all covers, with Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell—Sam Beam returns to Iron & Wine. Pivoting from the experiments of 2013’s Ghost on Ghost, Beast Epic finds Beam in a simpler, more familiar mode: Warm, quietly celebratory folk-rock charged with uplift and hope. “Where we see enough to follow/We can hear when we are hollow/Where we keep the light we’re given/We can lose and call it living,” Beam sings on “Call It Dreaming,” blending the intimacy of Elliott Smith with the bittersweet radiance of Cat Stevens.

11 Tracks

September 23, 2002 at PDT

The Creek Drank the Cradle

The debut album from Florida singer/songwriter Sam Beam is comprised of home demos that accentuate the haunted, forlorn vibe of Beam's warm, whispery voice. The occasional slide guitar or banjo aside, these are sparsely adorned acoustic guitar vignettes that wouldn't sound out of place in Simon & Garfunkel's catalog or as contemporaries with the songbooks of James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Joni Mitchell. There are no attempts at punk dissonance, or at recreating the feeling of an old Folkways field recording, as often befalls acoustic performers working in the indie-rock realm. Rich in harmonies and sweet, swaying rhythms ("Bird Stealing Bread"), with strong nods to obvious influences (Nick Drake for "Faded From the Winter"), Creek is one of the finest folk albums of the early 21st century.

11 Tracks

October 27, 2016 at PDT

Time After Time - Single

1 Trackfalse

May 18, 2009 at PDT

Around the Well (Bonus Track Version)

Around the Well is a collection of “rarities” from Iron & Wine: outtakes, B-sides, soundtrack cuts, demos. Considering the low profile of the “band” in question (really singer-songwriter Sam Beam with whomever he chooses to collaborate), it’s merely a handy-dandy assembly of stray tracks that loyal fans will want in order to complete their collection. Everything that makes Beam such an attractive performer is here. The soft, whispered vocals, the impeccable finger-picked acoustics, the thoughtful enigmatic lyrics, the laidback, chilling melodies all coalesce into a formidable whole. If these are “leftovers,” then Beam is one solid, prolific songwriter. Covers of the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” (featured in the film Garden State) and the Flaming Lips’ “Waitin’ for a Superman” add to the intrigue factor. The 23 tracks begin with mostly quiet, unadorned acoustic tunes (“Loud As Hope” is simply gorgeous) with slide guitar and hushed arrangements, eventually expanding into fuller band excursions such as “Kingdom of the Animals” where piano and electric slide spike the punch. 

24 Tracks

June 13, 2019 at PDT

Years to Burn

8 Tracks

August 30, 2018 at PDT

Weed Garden - EP

This EP collects extra Iron & Wine tracks written for 2017’s Beast Epic, with the same lineup helping Sam Beam extend that album’s cozier-is-better ethic, digging deeper into themes of mortality and solace. The tracks range from playful (“Last of Your Rock ’n’ Roll Heroes”) to intimate (“Talking to Fog”). This EP also contains the first studio recording of live favorite “Waves of Galveston,” a tasty lagniappe tossed into a hot bag of beignets. Weed Garden serves as an easy entry point for both Iron & Wine newbie and hardcore faithful.

6 Tracks

January 28, 2015 at PST

Forever Young (From NBC's Parenthood) - Single

1 Trackfalse

September 11, 2005 at PDT

In the Reins

7 Tracks

April 14, 2016 at PDT

Love Letter for Fire

This collaboration between Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam (of Iron & Wine) and singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop conjures a heritage country triumph. Seductive chemistry abounds on the immersive historic ballad "The Lamb", and the romance continues on the acoustic blues of "One Way to Pray", and whirling love story of "Kiss Me Quick". Interest piques when they head off-piste: "We Two are the Moon" has quirky French New Wave delivery, while "Chalk it up to Chi's" staccato, jazz rock pointedness, and "Midas Tongue" explosive breathy chemistry feel like lost Fleetwood Mac classics.

13 Tracks

April 25, 2024 at PDT

Light Verse

10 Tracks

February 21, 2005 at PST

Woman King - EP

6 Tracks

July 13, 2015 at PDT

Sing Into My Mouth

12 Tracks

April 15, 2013 at PDT

Ghost On Ghost

With each successive album Sam Beam explores new creative styles and becomes less recognizable to those who remember the quiet, lo-fi recordings that stood as his introduction to the music world. Beam is too restless a soul to confine himself to single sound and Ghost On Ghost, his fifth album, grabs a ticket for the AM Radio of the 1970s when a singer-songwriter like Paul Simon tried on new grooves and R&B, soft rock and lite-jazz all could be heard in a single listening. "Grace For Saints and Ramblers" cranks up the electric piano and the female backing choruses for a classic track that slips between genres. "Grass Widows" takes things further with another jazzy electric piano, a smart horn section and a Beam vocal that shadows John Lennon with its lonely echo. "Singers and the Endless Song" has traces of the reflective cadences of Our Endless Numbered Days but with a slew of friends busting things out. Tony Garnier's bass lines, Brian Blade's clean but animated drum fills, and Josette Newsome and Carla Cook's backing vocals ensure Beam is lonely no more.

12 Tracks

January 24, 2011 at PST

Kiss Each Other Clean (Deluxe Version)

Sam Beam fell into our collective lap in 2002 with the gorgeous, stark, and lo-fi The Creek Drank the Cradle. The subsequent years have seen the singer/songwriter, performing as Iron & Wine, developing an increasingly personal style that comes across regardless of fidelity. His earthy, high-register vocals seemingly float into the clouds, making listeners feel like they’re lying in a meadow as the afternoon sun kisses their cheeks. In 2008, a wider audience learned of Iron & Wine’s cozy music thanks to a spot on the Twilight soundtrack. The forthcoming Iron & Wine album, Kiss Each Other Clean, includes an exclusive track and is an enchanting, folk-tinged collection — from the cooing harmonies on the picturesque opener “Far from Home” to the funky bass bobs on the spacious “Me and Lazarus” and the sax-y groove of “Big Burned Head.”

12 Tracks

February 24, 2015 at PST

Archive Series Volume No. 1

Sam Beam’s successful recording career as Iron & Wine left much of his early work, made before he signed to Sub Pop Records, lost to poor-sounding bootlegs. However, Beam initiated the "Archive Series" to self-release his unreleased home recordings, covers, and live sets from his entire career. This first volume centers on recordings that could be considered a companion volume to his debut album, The Creek Drank the Cradle. They feature an uninhibited Beam harmonizing with himself over his gorgeous acoustic guitar work. Songs such as “Two Hungry Blackbirds,” “Judgement,” and “Quarters in a Pocket” prove that beauty can present itself in hushed tones.

16 Tracks

September 8, 2003 at PDT

The Sea & the Rhythm - EP

5 Tracks

May 6, 2021 at PDT

Archive Series Volume, No. 5: Tallahassee Recordings

11 Tracks

March 22, 2004 at PST

Our Endless Numbered Days (Deluxe Edition)

Little did Sam Beam—then a Miami-based university professor with filmmaking ambitions—know that Our Endless Numbered Days would take off the way that it did. Shortly after releasing his debut album in 2002, The Creek Drank the Cradle, Beam became a notable presence in an indie-folk movement—alongside artists like Damien Rice and The Mountain Goats—that favored form-fitting simplicity. Having self-recorded Creek with minimal resources, Beam expanded his instrumental expression with his 2004 follow-up, backing his somber, fingerpicking performances with string arrangements and touches of Delta blues.

Hollywood quickly took notice, and it didn’t take long for his spare, wistful lullabies to feature on prime-time TV shows like House M.D. and Grey’s Anatomy. His calming eloquence may sound easy on the ears set against dramatic scenes, but Beam’s Southern Gothic-inspired narratives were much more thoughtful than what was on the surface. “Cinder and Smoke” and “Each Coming Night,” while softened with gentle banjo-picking and acoustic guitar, use natural imagery to tell intimate accounts of personal ruin and renewal. At the same time, Beam could draw from memories of his Christian upbringing on the iridescent “Sodom, South Georgia,” adopting dark, Faulkner-like storytelling about the cyclical nature of life and death.

And then there’s the undeniably romantic “Naked As We Came,” which brought to mind the stripped-down beauty of cult British artist Nick Drake. The song’s success catapulted Our Endless Numbered Days to reach certified Gold status for seminal indie label Sub Pop. It allowed Beam to dream even bigger on 2007’s The Shepherd’s Dog, trading pastoral folk for a fuller and progressive sound backed by an eight-piece band. While he continued to evolve as an artist past Days, its influence continued to be felt into the late aughts, foretelling the folk-rock resurgence popularized by the likes of Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons.

20 Tracks

January 24, 2011 at PST

Kiss Each Other Clean

As impressive as his past work has been, Samuel Beam (a.k.a. Iron & Wine) blows away all expectations with Kiss Each Other Clean. Previous Iron & Wine releases have explored American roots music themes in quirky, provocative ways; this time, electronica elements are applied to old-fashioned song motifs and folk instrumental colors to gorgeous effect. Beam’s clear high tenor soars to serene heights, surrounded by subtly layered background vocals. The songs shift from sunny invocations of the past (“Tree By the River”) to shadow-haunted narratives (“Rabbit Will Run”) and oblique cautionary tales (“Monkeys Uptown”). A warm spiritual glow lights up the enraptured “Walking Far from Home” and the delicately shimmering “Godless Brother In Love.” Unexpected sonic curve balls — like the funky, saxophone-accent groove of “Big Burned Hand” and the use of analog synthesizer sounds on numerous tracks — keep things pleasantly off-balance. The seven-minute “Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me” closes the album with jazzy wails and prophetic visions.

10 Tracks

July 25, 2019 at PDT

Live At Third Man Records

10 Tracks

November 16, 2023 at PST

Who Can See Forever Soundtrack

19 Tracks

September 15, 2022 at PDT

Lori (feat. Sima Cunningham & Macie Stewart) - EP

4 Tracks

July 30, 2024 at PDT

Never Meant - Single

2 Tracks