Review Summary: In spite of the addition of orchestral and jazz elements to Iron & Wine’s sound, “Ghost on Ghost” is likely to lull listeners to sleep.
Iron & Wine was never considered an especially aggressive or outgoing indie-folk act, but singer-songwriter Samuel Beam has taken his low-key musings on life to a whole new level with his latest offering. Beam described it himself in a press release, saying his last two records had an “anxious tension” that Beam tried to remove from “Ghost on Ghost.”
On that account, Beam certainly succeeded. “Ghost on Ghost” is pretty much as far from anxious or tense as a record can be, despite the fact that he worked with 12 musicians during the record-making process. What that means is Beam’s music simultaneously gained scope, adding copious amounts of jazz influence, while losing charisma.
The record is certainly pleasant enough to listen to, filled to the brim with wistful croons and soft-spoken verses backed by a combination of laid-back orchestral strings, jazzy horns, and muted percussion. But as agreeable as Iron & Wine sounds here, it’s equally banal. The record does little to interest the listener and even less to keep them through the album’s full length. Notable exceptions are the seemingly impromptu saxophone solo on “Lovers’ Revolution” and the string-driven vocal showcase that is “Grace for Saints and Ramblers.”
For the most part though, Iron & Wine seems content to lull the listener to sleep with lackluster tracks like “Joy” and “Winter Prayers,” during which it’s a strain to make out Beam’s whispered words over painfully slow piano and barely audible acoustic guitar. On the whole, “Ghost on Ghost” ends up coming off as more of an extended lullaby than a full-length album from one of the more talented indie-folk artists still making music.
2.6/5
