Archive Series Volume No. 5: Tallahassee Recordings

Album review

Recorded while Iron & Wine's Sam Beam was a student at Florida State University in the late '90s, this set of songs is a prelude to his stunning Sub Pop debut, The Creek Drank the Cradle. Featuring Beam on acoustic guitar, vocals, and drums with roommate (and future I&W bandmate) EJ Holowicki on bass, there's a homemade feel to the set that's not quite as magical as Creek, but still very nicely intimate and lo-fi. Definitely less loner singing his heart out in a lonely room and more two dudes laying down some good country-adjacent tunes over a few beers. There are some clunky guitar solos, out-of-time guitars, and bass rumbles to contend with, as well as a couple of songs that sound like the work of someone still finding their voice. Mostly, though, the things that make Iron & Wine so lovely are here in nascent form. Beam's voice already has the power to rivet the listener to the speaker in awe of the warmth and feeling he transmits with seemingly no effort. His croon feels like the confession of a close friend, and on songs like "Cold Town" and "Why Hate Winter" (which sounds like backwoods Codeine) it's impossible to escape the raw emotion. There are also a few ghostly vocal harmonies -- like on the halting ballad "Show Him the Ground" -- that point the way to Creek's incredible sound. His lyrics here aren't always as insightful as they came to be -- the occasional lyrical turn feels less than polished -- but there's still plenty of sincere thoughtfulness on display. As far as lost, pre-fame recordings go, Archive Series No.5: Tallahassee Recordings is a genuine find. It skips over the one-off shot of brilliance that is Creek and provides a template for what Iron & Wine would sound like with more filled-out backing and a jauntier, less insular feel.

© Tim Sendra /TiVo