Sam Beam has been recording as Iron & Wine since 2002, and despite being active the whole time Kiss Each Other Clean is only his fourth full length release, and his first since 2007's The Shepherd's Dog. The main thing that seems to have happened in the intervening years is that Beam got funky.
I'm used to a kind of understated folksy americana from Iron & Wine, and opening track Walking Far From Home seems to indicate more of this direction, albeit with a little more production than usual. The bass intro to Me And Lazarus establishes a clear funk leaning, and the saxophone certainly seals it. Once the funk is let out of the bag it infuses the rest of the album. There's a marimba on Monkeys Uptown, south american sounding drums and a jazz flute on Rabbit Will Run, more funk bass and saxophone on Big Burned Hand, and an entire horn section sounding like Mingus on album closer Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me.
He hasn't sacrificed any of his trademark prettiness for the funk either. Beautiful harmonies and lilting melodies weave their way through the whole album. There's also no dip in lyrical quality. Beam has always had a way with words, and he certainly hasn't slacked off in this regard.
All of this combined leaves the whole album sounding more like an undiscovered gem from a classic era than a contemporary release. That's not to say it doesn't stand up next to todays artists. If anything it overshadows many of them. Just that it sounds instantly classic, which is among the highest praise I can give an album. I'm actually sorry to leave it to review another album, but I'll certainly be back to listen to this one.
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