September 24, 2002 - Iron & Wine and The Creek Drank The Cradle

A week after my last release a new band joins my library when Iron & Wine released their debut album "The Creek Drank The Cradle" on September 24, 2002. But who is Iron & Wine? Well right now, it's just one guy! Iron & Wine is the project of singer/songwriter Sam Beam, from Chapin, South Carolina, and this album is just Beam and his acoustic guitar for the most part! He recorded the whole album by himself in his bedroom and also produced it all himself! That's pretty impressive, let's check out what the solitary music of Iron & Wine is all about!

The album begins with "Lion's Mane" and Beam plays a fast acoustic guitar riff that sounds pretty cool and he sings a light verse overtop in his quiet but smooth voice. He adds a second acoustic riff with a bit of twang that gives things a very folk-y feel, but the other fast riff sounds good the whole way through. Beam even adds some banjo for the final verse and while banjo isn't my favourite, it does fit the mood pretty well. This is certainly not my usual cup of tea, but I thought it was very smooth and well done. Up next is "Bird Stealing Bread" and Beam plays another fast acoustic riff to nicely keep the pace and adds some more slower, folk-y guitar overtop. He sings another smooth verse in his soft voice and he holds a few long, high notes pretty nicely. No headbanging on this album, but it's another very smooth tune. Track 3 is "Faded From The Winter" and Beam plays another pretty fast acoustic guitar riff and his fast picking is very smooth, making for another solid backbone to softly build upon. Beam holds some more long notes in another soft verse and he also adds a slower acoustic guitar riff that adds another cool layer to things. They stick to the main drag, but there's always something going on and I didn't feel it dragged. The next track is "Promising Light" and it's the first song to not have a faster rhythm guitar, as they drop right into a slow, twang-y and kind of sappy main riff. Beam's soft verse fits the mood nicely but it's a much simpler song that is a little too much on the soft and folk-y side for me with the twang-y banjo taking the lead on this one. Track 5 is "The Rooster Moans" and Beam combines a cool guitar riff with a nice banjo riff that's actually pretty catchy for an upbeat, toe-tapping main riff. His smooth voice sounds good overtop the catchy music and even though there's no rhythm section this one still somehow gets you moving! Up next is "Upward Over The Mountain" and Beam plays a slow but smooth acoustic guitar riff and then adds a bit of oomph with a louder second riff for another decently catchy riff for nothing but acoustic guitar and vocals. Beam sings another quiet but silky smooth verse and while things are fairly simple, it's another catchy main drag. It's a little long at almost six minutes (by far the longest song on the album) but otherwise decent. Track 7 is "Southern Anthem" and Beam plays an acoustic guitar and banjo riff simultaneously but the twang-y banjo is louder and more prominent and that makes things less interesting for me. Beam sings another soft and smooth verse and the music is decent, just a little too much twang for my liking. The next track is "An Angry Blade" and it's got a rolling acoustic guitar riff that gives an almost blues-y feel which sounds solid and Beam sings a soft, high verse that nicely matches the mood. After the first round Beam plays a long banjo part that could be considered a solo overtop and it really does spice things up a bit! This song is another pretty catchy toe-tapper for just one guy! Track 9 is "Weary Memory" and it's got a really slow, super country/on the farm vibe that is not my favourite because once again the banjo takes the lead over the acoustic guitar. Beam continues to serenade with his smooth voice but this one is a little too country-esque for me, though I do like that he has some variety. Beam holds some pretty long notes in the chorus and his smooth voice keeps things interesting for me. Up next is "Promise What You Will" and it's a short song with Beam syncing up the acoustic guitar and banjo this time for a simple but decent main riff, with of course a smooth verse sung overtop. They stick to the main riff for the this whole sort song but it's one with another unique feel to it. The final song on the album is "Muddy Hymnal" and Beam jumps right into a silky smooth main riff with some catchy acoustic guitar leading the way, some tasteful banjo in the background and a pretty beautiful verse that seems to sway up and down in a soft wind. This song is a great showcase for Beam'a vocals as he goes between almost whispering singing at times to holding some nice high notes at others. A nice way to finish things off!

That is the end of "The Creek Drank The Cradle" and I thought it was a good album for what it was: a soft solo effort from a pretty good singer and songwriter. It's not making the top 20 by any means, it's all very light, but Sam Beam perfectly nails the vibe he's going for. I look forward to seeing where he goes from here!