1. ediebutt

   9

   It would be ridiculous to attempt to describe each of the album's 10 tunes, since a few clicks of your mouse will deliver the album to your doorstep, figurative or literal, and my verbose descriptions would probably bore you. But let me assure you, not one piece of Kiss Each Other Clean is boring. There is the relaxed groove (supplemented by electronic sounds) of "Monkeys Uptown," one of the most immediate tracks on the album; there is the poignant piano-led ballad "Godless Brother In Love," whose lyrics confront loss and parents' feelings about children; there is the doo-wop/country/folk mash-up "Half Moon," where Beam's influences - and emotions - are clear: "I wake beside you on the floor/ Counting your breathing/ 'Cause I can't see nothing in this half moon/ Lay me down if i should lose you." But most of all, there is the finale "Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me." It is not so much a denouement or an epilogue as it is a culmination of Beam's entire career - an epitome of music that most writers strive for but never find. It comes just in time, right after Kiss Each Other's two weakest tracks, the Dave Matthews Band-esque "Big Burned Hand" and the melancholy ballad "Glad Man Singing." While these two tracks would take the reins on any other album, they don't quite summit the peak that the rest of Kiss Each Other's songs do: they have the oxygen to make it up K2, not Everest. At this point, most listeners might be ready to press "repeat," expecting the closer to be some sort of dulcet ballad like the two that closed Our Endless Numbered Days and The Shepherd's Dog. But no. Rest of this is at http://www.thetunemusic.com/2011/03/iron-wine-kiss-each-other-clean-2011.html :)… Expand

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2. dkdc

   8

   Who is Chad Taylor? HE is the drummer in the group. Samuel Beam is the main guy. The group should be called IRON & WINE Got this at Borders a week early - oops! I like all IRON & WINE's stuff. More blues / country than I usually like, but this guy always puts out winners in my book. My main point was to correct the mistaken identity of the musician / group - not to write a review.… Expand

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3. Calexican

   5

   Not sure what Sam's doing with this. His immaculate track record to date gives hope but this is just an experimental 'blip'. The outstanding opener 'Walking Far From Home' apart, there is little here that moves or inspires in the same way as a Trapeze Swinger or Boy with a Coin. That fantastic voice wanders dangerously close to Fleetwood Mac territory at times. The recent live show in Birmingham (UK) was also a strange affair. The new songs were received with nothing more than polite applause and the old classics were barely recognisable in some cases with severe case of self indulgent instrumentation. The band for the most part looked bored and devoid of enthusiasm. Love Iron & Wine, but this is weak. Needs a rethink and quick - get back to the strengths which made SHepherds Dog an instant classic.… Expand

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