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Iron and Wine
The Shepherd's Dog
Out September 25th

On his third LP, singer -- songwriter Sam Beam pumps up the low-fi sparseness of his previous discs with bursts of twangy guitar, bluesy piano and tribal-sounding hand drums. "It's no fun to put out the same record over and over," he says. "Plus, I couldn't really get any quieter." And although he softens the songs' blows with pretty harmonies, Beam's traditionally romantic lyrics drift into dark, almost apocalyptic territory. "When Bush got re-elected, it was one of those moments when you thought you knew what was going on, and you realize you don't," he says. "In the past, I tried to find peace with whatever I was writing. This time, it was OK to make unsettling scenarios."

LISTEN
"Boy With A Coin" from The Shepherd's Dog