Who Can See Forever

by Iron & Wine

Overview

Drawn from two concerts recorded with the band Sam Beam assembled around the time of his 2017 album Beast Epic, Iron & Wine's first proper live album, Who Can See Forever, presents stirring versions of songs drawn from throughout their long career. Sounding at once intimate and exploratory, the small group of Beam on guitar, Sebastian Steinberg on bass, Beth Goodfellow on drums and percussion, cellist Teddy Rankin-Parker on cello, and keyboardist Eliza Hardy-Jones deliver the intense introspection inherent in Beam's songs while stretching them out into loose, Astral Weeks territory. They have an almost telepathic way of filling in the spaces in between notes with just the right tender embellishment; Steinberg in particular chooses his spots with maximum impact in mind as he darts around the melodies with a limber grace that Richard Davis -- the bassist on Astral Weeks -- would have recognized. The group proves fully adept at the hushed ballads that are Beam's trademark, but also can shoot out dramatic sparks (as they do on elongated versions of "Monkeys Uptown" and "The Trapeze Swinger"), clunk artfully like Tom Waits ("Wolves [Song of the Shepherd's Dog]"), and display some impressive cinematic uplift ("Call Your Boys"). Beam's reliably strong vocals are joined throughout by lovely and supportive harmonies, providing a little bit of comfort to his tales of desperation and sadness. All these elements work together to give the songs a new dimension, and whether they top the originals is beside the point; it is exciting enough to hear a band as good as this working with Beam in a live setting, taking chances and reaching deep inside the songs to extract shiny new gold. It's hard to believe it took so long for Iron & Wine to document their live incarnation, but it is easy to believe that now that they finally have, it's as sophisticated, burnished, and emotionally true as this. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2023
Label:	Sub Pop
UPC:	0098787160109
Rank:	15531

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Trapeze Swinger
2. Boy with a Coin
3. Woman King
4. Thomas County Law
5. House by the Sea
6. About a Bruise
7. Sodom, South Georgia
8. Last Night
9. Monkeys Uptown
10. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)

Disc 2

11. Grace for Saints and Ramblers
12. Dearest Forsaken
13. Glad Man Singing
14. On Your Wings
15. Passing Afternoon
16. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car
17. Naked as We Came
18. Call Your Boys
19. Muddy Hymnal

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Iron & Wine   Primary Artist
Elizabeth Goodfellow   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Sebastian Steinberg   Group Member
Richard Dodd   Mastering
Mike Westbrook   Engineer
Sam Beam   Design,Composer,Group Member
Eliza Hardy Jones   Group Member
Teddy Rankin Parker   Group Member
Dusty Summers   Design
Jelle Kuiper   Engineer
Matt Ross-Spang   Mixing
Juan Garcia-Spitz   Engineer
Elizabeth Goodfellow   Group Member