Kiss Each Other Clean 4AD***

Iron and Wine's Sam Beam has enjoyed the kind of critical acclaim that so many singer- songwriters would sell their copyright for. The South Carolina native now resides close to Austin, Texas, and you can see why he has gravitated towards that centre of Americana; you can also appreciate how the former film teacher approaches music. By combining his grounding in framing a storyline with a natural sense of storytelling, Beam has grown from being overtly influenced by the likes of Nick Drake to forging a persistent, delicate style all his own. Kiss Each Other Cleansees Beam stretch his stylistic brief even further by deftly fusing jazz stylings and ethnic hints with songs that are not just intricately melodic ( Me and Lazarus, Godless Brother in Love) but also in thrall to sweetness ( Half Moon) and – we didn't see this coming – prog rock ( Your Fake Name Is Good Enough for Me). See ironandwine.com

Download tracks: Godless Brother in Love, Half Moon