this is an interesting release, one that die hard iron and wine fans have been clamoring for recently. It is comprised of sixteen tracks recorded on a four track recorder in his bedroom at the beginning of sam beam’s career. His signature style, namely his half whispered duets with himself, on top of a sparse acoustic blend of guitars, is definitely in play here. it is not hard to envision him writing and playing these songs around the house, as they are full of images of the typical snippets you might see laying around the house all day – birds, weather, trees, and domestic conversations punctuate the lyrics. these tracks are the ones that weren’t used for his debut album, and have been traded by enthusiasts for years. not the first release i would send the inquisitive fan to that is not familiar with his work, but is it a good pickup for someone like me who has been a fan for years. iron and wine is playing at the pilgrimage festival this weekend, and i am sure i will be right up close, as i have never seen him before.