The Walrus - Music With Big Fuckin' Teeth!

12/18/2007

Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 7, Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

I am definitely trying to embrace diversity more in my life and after one listen to Iron and Wine's The Shepherd's Dog, it is obvious that songwriter Sam Beam is doing the same with his music. His previous efforts have been soft acoustic albums that rarely stray from their formulaic palette. However, on this album Beam branches out and incorporates a wide variety of musical ideas and it definitely pays off.

The sitar driven "White Tooth Man" is Beam's biggest departure and the most rewarding. Haunting double-tracked vocals are the song's centerpiece and the performance is so flawless, that one would think Beam was born to play this particular kind of music. The Bluesy "Wolves" is another successful departure, as is the honkey-tonk flavored "The Devil Never Sleeps." The album ends with one of the most beautiful ballads written this year, "Flightless Bird, American Mouth," a sincere tune with heavenly piano and string arrangements.

Indeed, diversity can be a great thing and The Shepherd's Dog proves that.

Pick up the album at Amazon.