Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
62
50 Cent
70
AFI
65
Air
70
Alice In Chains
53
Kris Allen
78
Amerie
79
Annie
76
Anti-Pop Consortium
86
The Antlers
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound
77
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
59
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
71
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Beak>
72
Brendan Benson
84
Biffy Clyro
72
The Big Pink
95
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
72
The Black Heart Procession
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
53
Bon Jovi
76
A.A. Bondy
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
83
Brother Ali
72
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
77
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
78
Califone
69
Mariah Carey
81
Brandi Carlile
72
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
71
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
82
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
64
Exene Cervenka
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System
67
The Clean
84
The Clientele
72
Cold Cave
85
Converge
71
Eric Copeland
76
The Cribs
79
Cymbals Eat Guitars
62
Dashboard Confessional
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
77
Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
88
Destroyer
73
Do Make Say Think
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
67
Bob Dylan
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
61
Electric Six
44
The Entrance Band
69
Fanfarlo
71
Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
66
Orenda Fink
79
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
65
Calvin Harris
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
67
Hockey
67
Whitney Houston
80
Hudson Mohawke
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
68
Daniel Johnston
76
Norah Jones
77
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
75
Kid Sister
66
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
63
Mark Knopfler
73
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
85
Miranda Lambert
72
Ledisi
71
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
62
Leona Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
74
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
83
Patty Loveless
73
Lyle Lovett
79
Lucero
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
61
Maps
73
Mario
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
62
John Mayer
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
75
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
75
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
66
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie
76
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
82
Nirvana
96
Nirvana
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
64
OneRepublic
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
78
Osso
67
Alec Ounsworth
81
Owen
73
Paramore
78
Pastels And Tenniscoats
54
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
69
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
72
Port O'Brien
79
Q-Tip
79
R.E.M.
88
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
74
The Raveonettes
79
Real Estate
76
Jay Reatard
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
66
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78
Russian Circles
69
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78
Say Anything
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
55
Steel Panther
75
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
68
Joss Stone
83
Barbra Streisand
77
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79
The Swell Season
80
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
80
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
78
The Dutchess & The Duke
71
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74
Them Crooked Vultures
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
73
Frank Turner
71
The Twilight Sad
60
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
69
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
70
Kurt Vile
65
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
73
Rufus Wainwright
78
Wale
57
Weezer
81
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69
Robbie Williams
59
Andrew W.K.
65
Wolfmother
84
The xx
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
52
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
In The Reins [EP]
EMAILPRINTby Iron & Wine + Calexico
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 12 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Overcoat
Release Date: 13 September 2005
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
This mini-album finds seven new originals written and sung by Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) with Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino performing as his backing band.
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: Calexico: Feast Of Wire Calexico: Garden Ruin Iron & Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days Iron & Wine: The Creek Drank The Cradle
Also On The Web: Official Calexico Site Official Iron & Wine Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Pitchfork
Whether or not Iron & Wine and Calexico ever choose to follow this up with another collaboration (fingers crossed), it's clear that both acts are stronger for having worked with the other.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Heartbreaking and haunting. [23 Sep 2005, p.90]
All Music Guide
Fans of both bands will want to get In the Reins because it rates favorably with their best work.
Read Full Review >Junkmedia
While In The Reins bears the unmistakable imprint of both Calexico and Iron and Wine, these collaborators donât seem to be interested in playing it all that safe.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
In the Reins is a marked leap forward in production--proving that [Beam's] songs, while gorgeous and perfectly functional as bare-bones four-track recordings, can support heavier instrumentation without losing their power and efficiency.
Read Full Review >Mojo
The combination... works just fine. [Oct 2005, p.114]
Dusted Magazine
If it was a foregone conclusion that the long-awaited Iron & Wine/Calexico team-up wouldn't result in anything revelatory (or incendiary, as it were), it was almost as inevitable that it would be rewarding all the same; safe, not sorry, sad and elegant as ever.
Read Full Review >Uncut
With Calexico's sensitive muting of colour, Beam is clearly thriving throughout. [Nov 2005, p.112]
Blender
This excellent collaboration plays to both halves' strengths. [Nov 2005, p.137]
Stylus Magazine
In The Reins is intelligent but natural, different but not queer.
Read Full Review >Spin
A little swing moves these songs along in otherwise unobscured directions. [Nov 2005, p.101]
ShakingThrough.net
In the Reins will please fans of both Beam and Calexico, and perhaps bring crossover business to each.
Read Full Review >Tiny Mix Tapes
The best parts of Iron & Wine songs are almost always the bridges between chorus and verse or the outros, the spaces void of singing where Beam adds subtle riffs on top of the normal progression... They are the sharpest hooks, and, unfortunately, Calexico pretty much cuts out the effect of these bridges on In the Reins, replacing them with dull saxophones, harmonicas, trumpets, and ill-defined electric guitar parts.
Read Full Review >Prefix Magazine
A solid set of tunes with some interesting musical elements not typically present in Beam's dynamic.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Clocks in at less than 30 minutes, but you still feel you've been somewhere when it finishes. [Oct 2005, p.115]
Rolling Stone
Sounds like an indie update of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska moved 300 miles to the southwest. [6 Oct 2005, p.154]
Alternative Press
A bit too jammy at times, but this is another solid effort for both artists. [Oct 2005, p.158]
Lost At Sea
Most of these tracks can be found on the Internet in their original Iron & Wine incarnations, and all but one sounds 100% better that way.
Read Full Review >Under The Radar
A pleasant curiosity. [#11, p.117]
New Musical Express
These country-blues laments are seriously sleepy-eyed. [10 Sep 2005, p.66]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
roman mc gave it an8:
It's pleasant listening. The first track, the last track, and the middle of the EP is the strength, especially "Red Dust." The way Iron and Wine's acoustic blues riff accelerates in tempo and Calexico steps in with its rhythm section is a credit to how well these two acts meshed. "Prison on Route 41" and "Sixteen, Maybe Less" are both a little too much on the 'precious' side and should be avoided for those who quickly fall asleep to Iron and Wine.
Cheryl P gave it a9:
I've always liked Calexico and I've enjoyed some of Iron & Wine, but Iron & Wine can sometimes be too sleepy for me. This collaboration is truly beautiful.
radar gave it a10:
Why don't all artists only release EP's? This is how it's supposed to be done. Only 7 tracks - only quality!
Steven L gave it a9:
I'd never heard of Calexico prior to this release, but I must say that the two bands certainly compliment eachother (unless Calexico is AMAZING by themselves, which they very well could be). It's short, but hell, it's an EP. Very satisfying.
Andy P gave it a9:
Really great move for both bands. The added flavor and tempo of Calexico makes Iron and Wine even more amazing.
Gary E gave it a9:
Just as "you've got chocolate in my peanut butter" now we have "you've got Calexico in my Iron & Wine" acheiving mutually delicious heights seemingly made for each other.
