When I first heard this song, I was kinda bummed out. I don’t think we need any more of our beardy folk artists buttoning their vests up and, like, twirling canes around while they sing songs that would not sound out of place in the Great American Songbook. Those Monsters of Folk guys seem to have that pretty well covered. But the more I listen, the less I am able to resist. Old Sam Beam is just a fantastic songwriter. This one reminds me of Sgt. Pepper’s-era Paul McCartney. And the video, directed by Hayley Morris, matches its liquidy psychedelia just perfectly. The new Iron and Wine album, Ghost on Ghost, comes out today.
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I grew up in New Jersey. I live in New York. I write for the Awl, and also a book called Public Apology, for Grand Central Publishing.