In the Reins features Sam Beam of Iron & Wine and Calexico aiming to combine the best of each of their musical strengths, a collaboration that was discussed by both bands for years but never came together until now. The CD unfolds with Beam's evocative melodies backed by Calexico's blend of mariachi horns, soaring strident pedal steel, and jangly '60s-era reverb guitars; there's even the contribution of Salvador Duran's operatic Flamenco vocals on the first track, "He Lays in Reins," to really flesh out the Western feel. Given the EP's title, images of being tied or controlled come to mind especially on "Dead Man's Will," a track that features a nice peppering of vibraphones to round things out at the end. "Red Dust" is reminiscent of the roustabout feel on Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's recent collaboration with Matt Sweeny on Superwolf. Here is a song that begins quietly and opens into a ballsy, four-on-the-floor honky tonk. On "Burn That Broken Bed" muted trumpets linger in space and the blended band is cautious with dynamics like a seasoned jazz quartet. As a first EP together (though it seems unlikely their last), Calexico and Iron & Wine seem almost tentative. It would be interesting to see Beam nudge the sweet introverted songs he's mastered from the bedroom into Calexico's full-on cinematic marquee limelight--something there is great potential for with this exciting grouping.--Gabi Knight
Why didn't somebody think of this sooner? It's not a fair question, but it's an easy one to ask once you've heard the seven-track In the Reins, the first in what, if we're all very lucky, will be a series of collaborations between Iron & Wine and Calexico.
Iron & Wine's Beam and Calexico's Joey Burns sound heavenly harmonizing with each other, especially when guest vocalist Natalie Wyants joins them. Neither is an exceptional vocalist on his own, both occasionally lapsing to a whisper, but those hushed, gently melodic cords singing in unison make magic. Beam is the principle songwriter and vocalist on the album, and he's written some A material for the record, admirably putting his all into it instead of offering up some throwaway stuff and hoping Calexico can do something with it.
What ultimately ends up happening is Calexico's sense of cinematic grandeur and eclecticism imbues Beam's melodies and lyrics with an expansiveness that his humid Floridian folk doesn't usually have. Shades of jazz and country creep in, and they even tackle straightahead California pop on "History of Lovers". The only ingredients from Calexico's usual recipe that are absent are dub and mariachi, but they employ their arsenal so sympathetically to Beam's vision that an unschooled listener might never guess that this wasn't a proper, working band.
Calexico are no strangers to backing other singers-- Burns and drummer John Convertino began playing together as Howe Gelb's rhythm section in Giant Sand, and they've contributed to dozens of LPs by other artists over the years. The core duo of Calexico brings along most of the collective of Southwestern musicians that enlivens their own albums-- Paul Niehaus's lap steel, in particular, helps to shape the sound of the album. "Prison on Route 41" and "16, Maybe Less" both traffic in hushed country 'n' western tones, but are arranged in such a way that vocals give way to instrumental passages so smoothly that the solos don't feel at all like showcases.
There isn't a disappointing song on the EP (mini-album might actually be a better word for it), but it's worth noting a couple of stand-outs. Opener "He Lays in the Reins" is a subtle waltz stuffed with flourishes of acoustic guitar and brushed drums that almost two minutes in introduces the operatic Spanish vocals of Salvador Duran, a complete leftfield move that proves as inspired on subsequent listens as it does jarring on the first listen. But the real highlight is also the biggest shock: "History of Lovers" is what Fleetwood Mac's Rumours might have sounded like if it had been recorded in Memphis, complete with steel guitar trim and a great horn arrangement to go with some stunning harmonies and an unbelievable vocal melody.
Whether or not Iron & Wine and Calexico ever choose to follow this up with another collaboration (fingers crossed), it's clear that both acts are stronger for having worked with the other. It'll be interesting to see what comes next for Iron & Wine and Calexico and how this affects their work apart from each other. In the meantime, we can hope that this isn't a one-time-only engagement.
-Joe Tangari, September 14, 2005
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