from:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/203073_club10.html

Friday, December 10, 2004

Club Beat: Iron and Wine's Beam brings his hushed
tones to Neumo's

By TIZZY ASHER
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Iron and Wine's Sam Beam is the horse whisperer
of the indie music scene.

With his 2002 debut, "The Creek Drank the Cradle"
(Sub Pop), he sidled up to the savage beast and
began cooing his soft, folk-based mantra into its
ear. His intricate guitar picking, relying
heavily on old time mountain music and
traditional blues, combined with his hushed vocal
lines to create a hushed aura of intimacy and
tradition. It was like Simon and Garfunkel caught
in the dark hollow of a West Virginia coal mine.

This year's follow up, "Our Endless Numbered
Days," finalized the taming process. The record's
sound was similarly hushed and intimate, though
Beam did add studio production (his debut was
recorded in his bedroom) and a few capable
assistants (including his sister Sarah). The
indie scene responded by laying down at Beam's
feet, docile as a lamb.

It didn't hurt that Iron and Wine also appeared
on the soundtrack for "Garden State," as the love
theme, no less. That film's emotionally laden
subject matter seemed to mesh perfectly with
Beam's introspective murmurs. (Strangely, Beam
was a professor of cinematography in Miami before
he quit his day job to play music full time.)

Beam is preparing a new EP for February titled
"Woman King." He should be debuting new material
as well as covering favorites when he plays
Neumo's Sunday and Monday (9:30 p.m.; $12 advance
at TicketsWest).

Beam also will be part of a songwriting panel
hosted by the Musician's Resource Center on
Monday at the Vera Project (5:30 p.m.; free).
Beam is joined by Crooked Fingers' Eric Bachman
and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. Since
Bachman now lives in Seattle, we can report that
his new record, "Dignity and Shame" (Merge), is
slated for release on Feb. 22.