Artist: Iron & Wine   
Album: Woman King EP       
Label: Sub Pop
Tracks: 6
Length: 24:03

Review by: Luke Kruse

 

Iron & Wine is primarily the project of former film school professor Sam Beam, an artist who has firmly established himself as a musical treasure.  Iron & Wine released one of the best albums of 2004 in Our Endless Numbered Days, and the object of this review, Woman King, was released in early spring of 2005.  Iron & Wine made their debut with the decidedly lo-fi affair The Creek Drank the Cradle in 2002, and over the course of just a few years have released two full length albums and two EP’s, all of high quality. 

 

While Our Endless Numbered Days found Iron & Wine embracing slick studio production, the songs were still primarily quiet affairs consisting of hushed percussion, picked banjo, acoustic guitar, and Beam’s warm and soothing voice.  While all of these elements still have their place on Woman King, the six songs here also feature some lively percussion and even a few splashes of electric guitar.  The songs are still contemplative and folksy, but the pounding percussion on the opening title track certainly took me off guard upon first listen, as did the distorted electric guitar on the closer “Evening on the Ground.”

 

Woman King is a concept album of sorts – each of these songs is written about the “fairer sex”.  While Sam Beam is not a professing Christian to my knowledge, his songs have always talked a lot about faith.  The beautiful “Jezebel” discusses the Biblical temptress, complete with thoughtful lyrics like “She was born to be the woman we could blame/make me a beast half as brave/I’d be the same.”  “Freedom Hangs like Heaven” is about Mary: “Ain’t nobody knows what the newborn holds/but his mama says he’ll walk on water and wander back home.”  Lyrical gems like this permeate the album, and there is just something special about the way that Sam Beam sings - incredibly soothing, but with undeniable conviction.

 

I am usually not a huge fan of EP’s.  I don’t think they have enough songs to truly capture an artists’ vision; however, Woman King is a standout exception.  Iron & Wine is an artist only increasing in confidence and his songwriting ability as time goes on.  For those who might be tempted to skip this EP and wait for the next Iron & Wine full length, I encourage you to add this prize to your collection.   

   

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