22. "Kiss Each Other Clean"- Iron & Wine

Like a lot of great music in my life, this album started out as a CD in the playlist for WSHL. Every semester there would be two racks of them that we, as DJs, we required to play from. I always thought of it as returning the favor to the labels for sending them to us. Plus, it would lead us to sometimes align with what was being played on other radio stations at the time, while also being able to sound original or different. (I think that description can also be applied to this album.)

The first song I played on air from the CD was “Glad Man Singing.” It was leading into Spring Weekend my Sophomore year and I attempted to connect it with the artists for the concert on Friday night. I can remember saying something to the effect of “and K’naan will be a glad man singing up there on the stage.” In all actuality, I liked the groove of the song. It starts out slow with some strumming and grows to incorporate other instrumentation. Plus Sam Beam sings in this really relaxed style. It sounds like he is having a good time, so the listener might as well also.

I found myself playing that song in random moments when I wanted to hear something to pump me, most frequently for a walk across campus. I was usually leaving a place, such as my room or the dining commons, for either going to work or going to do work. I would end up strolling in with a smile, ready for what awaited me.

As the summer between sophomore and junior year unfolded, so did the rest of the album for me. Similar to “A Rush of Blood to the Head”, I too discovered this album track by track. I would say in six months time, I would start at the beginning and let it play from there. What is great is the over seven minutes long closer “Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me” that allows the album to not end so quickly. There is a wide array of sounds and tempos. You get your money’s worth as the curtain falls.

What is significant about this album is that it led me to more Iron & Wine. I did not have the benefit of being “of age” when Sam Beam started his career. I did not have my ear to the ground so to speak to music like his. With my interest peaked because of this album, I would in turn check out his earlier release “Our Endless Numbered Days”. Drastically different in style, I still heard thoughtfully made music characterized by accessible sounds and stories. With both releases in mind, I was able to further appreciate Sam Beam as an artist. I also the fact that they both end with a track that has the line from which the album got its title.

Overall, this album occupies a space between the beginning and the latter stages of Iron & Wine music. There is plenty of acoustic strumming, while there is a mix of studio prowess. The album is not a grand statement nor is it a quiet whisper. It simply a great way to get into a great artist.