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Track Listings
| 1. On Your Wings |
| 2. Naked As We Came |
| 3. Cinder and Smoke |
| 4. Sunset Soon Forgotten |
| 5. Teeth in the Grass |
| 6. Love and Some Verses |
| 7. Radio War |
| 8. Each Coming Night |
| 9. Free Until They Cut Me Down |
| 10. Fever Dream |
| 11. Sodom |
| 12. South Georgia |
| 13. Passing Afternoon |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
What a little quiet gem this album is. Stark almost meditative offerings sung with understated warmth and whispered restraint by Sam Beam. Exquisitely plucked acoustic guitars provide the majority of the musical backing, There's the occasional banjo, pedal steel and a full band kicks in at the end of "On your Wings" and "Love and Some Verses". Some of the songs have scuffed female backing vocals but essentially that's about it. Its still a compelling listen helped by the slowly percolating melodies vivid arrangements and beautifully crafted lyrics. These are songs about love, death and err that's about it, but Nick Cave didn't go too far wrong singing about love and death all the time. On this album neither does Sam Beam.
Comparisons with Will Oldham are valid, but his work is far starker and strung out, and his voice lacks the pleasant rounded edges of Beams. There are hints of the Handsome Family, Willard Grant Conspiracy, and Elliot Smith and in some of the wonderful guitar work Nick Drake. When the songs are as stunningly written as "Naked as we Came" and "Sunset Soon Forgotten" they achieve an aura of spectral aching lambency.
Normally an album as one paced as "Our Endless Numbered Days" would pall after half a dozen tracks but the only track which drags is the relatively short "Radio War" which is basically a two minute one chord strum. Overall this an imperturbable treat and the only reason I haven't given it full marks is because it lacks the diverse dynamic I in my stubborn way insist all great albums should have. Other than that it's more or less flawless.
Comparisons with Will Oldham are valid, but his work is far starker and strung out, and his voice lacks the pleasant rounded edges of Beams. There are hints of the Handsome Family, Willard Grant Conspiracy, and Elliot Smith and in some of the wonderful guitar work Nick Drake. When the songs are as stunningly written as "Naked as we Came" and "Sunset Soon Forgotten" they achieve an aura of spectral aching lambency.
Normally an album as one paced as "Our Endless Numbered Days" would pall after half a dozen tracks but the only track which drags is the relatively short "Radio War" which is basically a two minute one chord strum. Overall this an imperturbable treat and the only reason I haven't given it full marks is because it lacks the diverse dynamic I in my stubborn way insist all great albums should have. Other than that it's more or less flawless.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When an album is made of songs that sound as though personal experiences and thoughts have been an influence it's always a bonus. The more you listen to the lyrics, the more you connect with the songs and this makes it all the more enjoyable.
I say all this because with "Our Endless Numbered Days" that's exactly what you get. The songs are simply, yet beautifully constructed. "She says wake up, it's no use pretending, I keep stealing, breathing her" Sam Beam almost whispers, as if giving volume to his words would take away their meaning. "One of us will spread our ashes round the yard" - a poignant reminder that no-one is here forever. The rest of the album continues in the same vein, gently nudging at your emotions as each song passes.
"Sunset Soon Forgotten", "Naked As We Came", and the exceptional "Love and Some Verses" deserve a special mention.
A wonderful album.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Miami Cinematography teacher Sam Beam is one man who has good reason to give up his day job. With Iron & Wine's second full length release Sam builds on on the blend of country, bluegrass and torch song melancholy he so perfectly embodied in The Creek Drank The Cradle.
'Endless Numbered Days' moves on from the achievement of 'The Creek...' musically and lyrically whilst retaining the bittersweet mood created by Beam's haunting vocals. It turns out in fact that 2003's starkly engaging 'Sea & the Rhythm EP' was a good example of what was to follow.
Although there are no sweeping changes in style this album has its surprises (the full band that kicks in at the end of the 'On Your Wings' is as shocking as it is brilliant if you're a fan of the earlier material). Just as 'Creek..' this album couples gently grooving country guitar/banjo workouts (Teeth In The Grass) with moments of aching beauty (Fever Dream, Radio War) but also covers new ground in the dark love songs (Naked As We Came, Love & Some Verses), unsettling as they are emotional.
Of course there are comparisons to Will Oldham but there is a key difference in that I&W exude a pastoral sincerity that the 'Prince' has only touched on in certain songs (e.g. 'I see a Darkness', 'Agnes Queen of Sorrow').
The most obvious dimension Iron & Wine and Oldham share is the depth of their lyrical content and I don't think it would be out of order to suggest that Johnny Cash would have approached one of Sam Beam's compositions with the same enthusiasm he applied to his cover of 'I See A Darkness'. However, if you wanted to draw parallels with other artists you'll be at it all day so rich are Beam's creations.
Iron & Wine are that accomplished and, as is fitting for a member of this generation of 'black-sheep' country music, long analytical discussions of Oedipal complexes, sexuality, Jesus, and Death are probably being performed over copies of 'Endless Numbered Days' as you read this; However in brighter times the simple addition of summer evenings, good friends and cold beer will suffice.
Enjoy
'Endless Numbered Days' moves on from the achievement of 'The Creek...' musically and lyrically whilst retaining the bittersweet mood created by Beam's haunting vocals. It turns out in fact that 2003's starkly engaging 'Sea & the Rhythm EP' was a good example of what was to follow.
Although there are no sweeping changes in style this album has its surprises (the full band that kicks in at the end of the 'On Your Wings' is as shocking as it is brilliant if you're a fan of the earlier material). Just as 'Creek..' this album couples gently grooving country guitar/banjo workouts (Teeth In The Grass) with moments of aching beauty (Fever Dream, Radio War) but also covers new ground in the dark love songs (Naked As We Came, Love & Some Verses), unsettling as they are emotional.
Of course there are comparisons to Will Oldham but there is a key difference in that I&W exude a pastoral sincerity that the 'Prince' has only touched on in certain songs (e.g. 'I see a Darkness', 'Agnes Queen of Sorrow').
The most obvious dimension Iron & Wine and Oldham share is the depth of their lyrical content and I don't think it would be out of order to suggest that Johnny Cash would have approached one of Sam Beam's compositions with the same enthusiasm he applied to his cover of 'I See A Darkness'. However, if you wanted to draw parallels with other artists you'll be at it all day so rich are Beam's creations.
Iron & Wine are that accomplished and, as is fitting for a member of this generation of 'black-sheep' country music, long analytical discussions of Oedipal complexes, sexuality, Jesus, and Death are probably being performed over copies of 'Endless Numbered Days' as you read this; However in brighter times the simple addition of summer evenings, good friends and cold beer will suffice.
Enjoy
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Special
This really is a special album. I'm a big Iron & Wine fan and this is the album I return to most. The songs reveal themselves slowly and subtly. Read more
Published 8 months ago by pbgeary
Glorious
Been meaning to buy something by Iron and Wine for years. Finally got round to it and realised I had really had been missing out on something. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mrs. S. Holland
Item NOT received!
I ordered this CD over two weeks ago and has yet to arrive. Although the CD was dispatched I did not receive it and this has left me with no faith in the supplier.
Published 14 months ago by Sara
An excellent album
I came across this band because I had watched the Twilight Films. I was so pleased to have found this band - its a really good album - that goes for pratically all the tracks. Read more
Published on 15 April 2010 by Sandy
Fantastic album
If you're new to Iron & Wine, this is the album to get. Every song here is magnificent, and it is a perfect showcase of how much Sam Beam can get from his hushed musical style. Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by Jack Spratt
Totally worth it, can't stop listening to it!
I originally bought this album after hearing the song Passing Afternoon during the last episode of House, Season 4. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2009 by Ms. S. L. Dunford
Great Music
This is a really great CD - I love all the songs and the music is very mellow. The format won't play on my CD player but is fine on the pc or TV.
Published on 2 Jun 2009 by J. A. Whitehead
Good in parts
I bought this album after hearing the song 'Naked as we came' in the film 'And then she found me.'
The song was great but for me the rest of the album did not live up to... Read more
The song was great but for me the rest of the album did not live up to... Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2009 by Mr. Richard Compton
Our Endless Numbered Days
'Our Endless Numbered Days' is another beautiful album from Iron & Wine. It is along the same lines as 'The Creek Drank The Cradle', but where as that album was one man and his... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2008 by Spider Monkey
Poetry
This is just poetry. The man is a wonderful and consistently good song writer. Beautiful songs that are both fragile and persistent without ever being corny. Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2006 by Shorty McTall
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