Iron and Wine Tree By The River

Confession: I went through a pseudo-obnoxious introspective-angsty phase right before I moved to the east coast for college. I listened to a lot of Iron and Wine during that time. Because of that, unfairly, I've since half dismissed Iron and Wine as Sam Beam's sweet, precious solo act, a relic of my teenage years and, other than an appreciation for their collaboration with Calexico, relegated them to the back of my CD case (am I dating myself?).

Oh, was I mistaken. Iron and Wine's newest album Kiss Each Other Clean, due for release next Tuesday, is as layered, as complex, and as fun to listen to as some of the best albums I've heard in the past couple of years. I hear echoes of The Antlers, and even some Josh Ritter's vocal intensity that so captivated me this winter.

The album does sound like a departure (or a step forward), with excellent uses of a horn section and even some Phil Collins-esque African drums. However, the qualities that I have always appreciated about Iron and Wine are still showcased (tight vocal harmonies, musical precision, poetic lyrics) - the album feels fresh, rather than over produced.

Already antsy for Tuesday? You can preview the album over on Conan O'Brien's website (I know, right?). You can also download the track "Tree By The River" on the Iron and Wine site here.