Woman King

by Iron & Wine

Overview

Anyone still hoping that Sam Beam and Iron & Wine will ever go back to the lo-fi sound of their first album might as well give up on that pipe dream. On the 2005 EP Woman King, Iron & Wine's sound is more produced and varied than ever. The record's arrangements are overflowing with a wealth of percussion, vocal harmonies, banjos, violins, and pianos. Beam's vocals, while always a thing of beauty, sound more assured and powerful than ever. Iron & Wine sound like a real band here; if you heard them in a big-budget Hollywood film, you wouldn't even flinch. The widening and smoothing of the band's approach does Beam's songs great favors, too. While his songwriting is as emotionally direct and haunting as ever (no amount of studio sheen could change that), this EP never feels insular, as his previous albums sometimes did. It sounds widescreen and universal. Woman King is too short to be considered the high point of Iron & Wine's career -- it certainly points in that direction, though. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	02/22/2005
Label:	Sub Pop
UPC:	0098787066517
Rank:	5743

Tracks

1. Woman King
2. Jezebel
3. Gray Stables
4. Freedom Hangs Like Heaven
5. My Lady¿¿¿s House
6. Evening on the Ground (Lilith¿¿¿s Song)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Iron & Wine   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Brian Deck   Audio Production,Producer,Performer
Jim Becker   Performer
EJ Holowicki   Performer
Sam Beam   Composer,Performer
Sarah Beam   Performer