The Wake

Iron & Wine - The Shepherd’s Dog

The hushed whisper and acoustic creakiness of Iron and Wine’s early output could hardly have predicted the growth that has been seen on the bands’ subsequent releases. The Shepherd’s Dog marks the continued evolution of the indie-folkies, which was first seen on the outstanding Woman King EP, and later on the collaboration with Calexico, In the Reins.

While on earlier albums guitarist/vocalist Sam Beam was synonymous with Iron and Wine, the backing band that surrounds his hushed vocals has taken on a greater role, turning the onetime solo project into a wholly collaborative effort. Once again produced and engineered by Brian Deck (Red Red Meat, Modest Mouse), the album steps in and out of styles, while using transitional instrumentation to weave the albums contrasting parts into a whole.

The striking compositions meld the finest parts of Iron and Wine’s early work with rhythm and percussion that borrows heavily from dub, Afrobeat and blues. His evocative voice is layered upon itself, while pedal steel and twinkling pianos mimic his haunting whisper. Lyrically, Beam borrows heavily from biblical imagery as he negotiates with disenchantment and devotion. The Southern-gothic imagery is both guarded and evocative of a musician in the throes of reestablishing his religious and national identity.

The album’s disparate parts slowly fold into one another finally reaching a climax on the closer, “Flightless Bird, American Mouth.” The experimentation fades into the background, while the rhythm section holds back until a minute and half into the song, bringing closure to what is an ambitious portrait of disillusionment.

9.1/10