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On the album's first disc, comprised of lo-fi home recordings, the focus is the intimate (yet never sloppy) graininess of Beam's first attempts to capture his muse. The hissy quality of these bedroom poems is perfectly matched by a voice that almost seems covered in dust. His whispering, keening approach to singing can often make you think of Sufjan Stevens, although his cleverness is less in how many musical plates he can juggle and more about working small miracles with a limited palette.
Disc two's studio work shows how both Our Endless Numbered Days or The Shepherd's Dog could have been doubles themselves, such is the calibre of these cast-offs. Possibly the most sacrilegious thing you could say about Beam is that the quality of his larynx, and especially his delicate finger-picking, make him something of a post-modern Paul Simon. That's not an insult by the way; it's just a way of saying that despite the impressionistic wordplay he unfailingly delivers an unfashionable prettiness that escapes most of his contemporaries. On the closing nine minutes of The Trapeze Swinger (from Paul Weitz's 2004 film, In Good Company) a simple three-chord vamp is elevated by a tune that only the truly talented could conjure.
Sinning Hands does qualify as what many would term alt-country: in other words, it sounds a little like Neil Young. But there's far more going on here. No Moon could be Tom Waits backing JJ Cale, whereas Serpent Charmer utilises backwards tapes, bongos and blips to drive it along. Yet such is the singularity of Beam's vision that cover versions hardly stand out, being moulded to his distinctive style. You get the feeling that, more often than not, they're chosen because they fit into his lyrical universe (New Order's Love Vigilantes and The Flaming Lips' Waiting For a Superman). However, anyone who can cover Stereolab's Peng 3 and make it their own has to be applauded.
Around the Well, rather than an addendum to a fine career, deserves to be regarded as being up there with his major work. --Chris Jones
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Customer Reviews
Over the course of 2 CD's, we hear clearly the evolution of the Iron and Wine sound. Disc one focuses on the early, lo-fi home recordings that were built around just acoustic guitar, slide guitar and Sam Beam's breezy whisper of a voice. Disc two presents the more polished and embellished but no less beautiful material of later years.
Highlights on disc one include "Morning", with its honeyed harmonies and intricate guitar picking. "Peng!33" is a Stereolab tune that Sam Beam interprets to stunning effect, making it his own. "Hickory" is another light, airy melody that evokes Texan landscapes. "Such Great Heights", that closes the disc, is so melodically powerful and intimate that it causes me to well up with tears!
On disc two, the differences are immediately apparent, with the presence of percussion, bass and piano and even a vaguely warped synthesiser (on "Arms of a Thief").
Highlights on this disc include "Belated Promise Ring", an upbeat, jaunty, buoyant piece that features a rather fetching piano solo. "God Made the Automobile",meanwhile, is astonishing, with a killer melody and charming "ooo-whoo" backing vocals. Elsewhere, we have "Serpent Charmer", a bongo-driven barnstormer. "Love Vigilantes" is a worthy rendition of a New Order classic. "The Trapeze Swinger", the album's closing tune, lasts for an epic ten minutes and not a moment is wasted. It contains one of Sam Beam's finest vocal melodies, a catchy guitar riff and more of the addictive "oo-whoo" backing vocals that added so much to "God Made the Automobile". It's a truly glorious number to bow out on.
So, all in all, "Around the Well" is a superb compilation. Granted, there are are a few tunes that come across as slight on the first listen, but these even these lesser numbers start to cast their spell after a few spins. This album is a must-have for established fans and any lovers of intimate acoustic music or Americana in general.
Speaking for myself, I could listen to these simple, stunningly crafted melodies for eternity. I hope you feel the same way!
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