****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I saw the 3 star review someone else left, and felt the need to give a different perspective. For those who have heard Iron & Wine's 'The Shepherd's Dog', this is not much of a departure. If you missed that CD or was hoping for 'Our Endless Numbered Days' part two, this may come as a bit of a shock.The songs here are fun, eclectic and slightly experimental. (There is some interesting sax riffing on song 2 and some mild techno beats on song 3.) But nothing radical, only enjoyable. The thing that took a little time for me to get used to was Sam's new singing style. Instead of the hushed, low-key singing he has predominantly done in the past, for this EP he is singing out. He has a pleasant voice though and doesn't try to force his voice to do things it shouldn't, so nothing to worry about.'The Shepherd's Dog' is one of my all-time favorite CD's, so this next step in Sam Beam's ever evolving music experiment is very welcome. If you get this EP, don't be surprised if it gets stuck on repeat in your iPod. I'm not sure if this will help tide me over until the new full-length CD or just make me crave it even more. 2011 suddenly feels like a long time from now.
