Our Endless Numbered Days

Beam在2004年发行的第二章专辑《我们那数之不尽的岁月》（Our Endless Numbered Days）是Iron and Wine的第一张录音室专辑，它意味着Beam完成了从业余爱好者到音乐家的转变。这张专辑由Brian Deck操刀，在芝加哥录制，着重于纯净的声音，但其他乐器的加入使最终效果有些许不同。 因为在专业录音棚中制作，专辑的音质有了极大的提高，且音色干净，简洁的编配让Beam的声音和歌词成为听众关注的焦点。精良的技术手段丝毫没有乾扰“Our Endless Numbered Days”发自内心的简单澄澈，Beam像是收起翅膀的天使，停在你的肩头娓娓道来。在其他音乐家的协助下，这张专辑有了比“The Creek Drank the Cradle”更加丰富的音乐语汇，无数精致的小细节激活听觉末梢，让人又惊讶又感动。到底是大学教师，Beam看似不着痕迹的遣词造句凝练而深刻，坦白、持重的语句摒弃了任何一点矫揉造作。Iron and Wine不是那种听一耳朵就能让你欣喜若狂或者号啕大哭的音乐，它慢慢流进你的心田，渗透下去，灌溉你，滋养你。 by Tim Sendra On Our Endless Numbered Days, the follow-up to 2002's stunningly good Creek Drank the Cradle, the sound of Iron & Wine has changed but the song remains the same. No longer does Sam Beam record his intimate songs in the intimate surroundings of his home. Instead he has made the jump to the recording studio. As a result the record is much cleaner, less cocoon-like, certainly more the product of someone who has become a professional musician and not someone who just records for fun on a four-track. However, all Beam has sacrificed is sound quality. The sound of the record is still very intimate and simple, with very subtle arrangements that leave his voice and lyrics as the focal point. Luckily all the technology in the world can't affect Beam's voice, which still sounds like it comes right from his lips into your ear as if he were an angel perched on your shoulder. His songs are still as strong and memorable as they were on Creek, no drop off whatsoever in quality. "Naked as We Came" with sparkling melody lovely background harmonies by his sister Sara; the aching folk ballad "Radio War," which wouldn't sound out of place on Prairie Home Companion, only it would be the best thing you ever heard there; the sad and sweet "Each Coming Night"; the crystalline acoustic guitar ballad "Fever Dream," which has the kind of vocal harmony between Beam and his sister that seems to be the exclusive domain of siblings; and the soft rock CSNY "Sodom, South Georgia" are the equal of anything on Iron & Wine's debut and match up well with anything Palace, Smog, or their ilk have done lately. A definite plus to recording in a studio and enlisting the help of outside musicians is that there is much more variety to the album and there are lots of small production touches that liven things up like the Native American chants at the close of "Cinder and Smoke," the pedal steel guitar on "Sunset Soon Forgotten," and the drums and tambourine on the bluesy "Free Until They Cut Me Down." Our Endless Numbered Days is very subdued, thoughtful, melodic, and downright beautiful album and the new sound is more of a progression than a sudden shift in values, production or otherwise. Anyone who found the first album to be wonderful will no doubt feel the same about this one. Heck, you might even like it more.