first reaction:iron & wine "kiss each other clean"

is January 16th too early to claim the album of the year spot for 2011?

I'm terribly, terribly in love with kiss each other clean, the latest offering from one of my most beloved and favorite bands, Iron & Wine. it isn't anything groundbreaking in terms of Sam Beam's body of work, but its phenomenal in its own right. every song on this album made me dance just a little bit harder while i was sitting here listening, and i think I'm going to have to put my life on hold for a bit so that i can learn this album inside and out...thank goodness for the day off tomorrow.

the album's opening track, walking far from home has been in rotation on my itunes for a few weeks now, as the single has been around since the end of November, so I've had a chance to get used to that song. i still don't love the extra noise at the beginning of the track, i find it distracting and rather annoying, honestly, but once that goes away, its pure bliss. no one can begrudge Sam beam's lyrical ability, and i think that this song exemplifies that quality. he just has this insane ability to paint a picture with his words and the music transports the listener right into that picture. when i listen to iron & wine, everything is happening on a sunny summer Saturday, and I'm sitting on the front porch drinking lemonade watching these scenes play out in front of me.

i think that my favorite track, on first listen at least, is the closing track your fake name is good enough for me. i have always been a sucker for the CSN&Y sound, you know? wicked harmonies and a very folk-y feel. that's exactly what i hear when i heard this song for the first time. i was nearly 8, sitting in the Tower Theater in Philly watching CSN&Y (i actually cant remember if neil young was with the band at that time or not. i should ask my parents, as that's a rather important detail) and taking in life in all its glory.

tree by the river has my favorite line in the entire album "now I'm asleep in a car/i mean the world to a potty mouth-ed girl/a pretty pair of blue-eyed birds." the very first time i ever heard that line it stuck with me and stood out, because i feel like i am Mary Anne in that scenario. there's an acoustic version of this song that Sam recorded with Rosie Thomas that just kills.

honestly, i could write forever about how much i love this album, but id rather just sit and listen to it and soak it in.

if you want to check out Iron & Wine for yourself, you can start with their daytrotter session that was posted a few days ago. that can be found on daytrotter's website.

once again, i think I've found my aoty for 2011. i adore this album.