Love Letter for Fire

Paste (magazine) - "Despite their disparate backgrounds, Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop have managed to make an album that's both hushed and harmonious..." Clash (Magazine) - "As warming as a good whiskey at night, LOVE LETTER FOR FIRE sounds exactly as you'd imagine it to considering all involved -- i.e. a folky's sweetest dream."

Sam Beam of Iron and Wine has never been averse to collaborating with like-minded artists, and he seems to have found an especially simpatico musical partner in Jesca Hoop. He and the musically shape-shifting Hoop co-wrote and recorded a batch of songs together. The result, 2016's Love Letter for Fire, is an album that shows both performers to their best advantage. For Beam, Hoop's clever melodic conceits and rich, free-spirited vocal and guitar style bring some fresh flavors to his repertoire. For Hoop, the full-bodied strength of Beam's vocals and guitar work gives her a mooring that keeps her airier ideas from drifting away. And together, they're superb duet partners, harmonizing with a skill that brings out the best in each singer and serves these 13 songs beautifully. If the tunes aren't wildly upbeat, the interaction of Beam and Hoop's voices emphasizes the humanity of his vision, and the best of this music manages to sound warm, gentle, and thoughtful without feeling bland. Drawing from '70s soft rock, more rustic Americana influences, and the sometimes mannered but emotionally honest tone of indie folk, the music is accessible but quietly adventurous. Producer Tucker Martine has given these recordings a clean but well-balanced sound, with the studio band lending valuable color and texture to Beam and Hoop's work. (The players include Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche and former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg.) Collaborative efforts like this usually give musicians a chance to play around a bit with unfamiliar ideas. But Love Letter for Fire sounds like Beam and Hoop were born to work together. The yin and yang of their individual perspectives fit together marvelously, and this rests comfortably with the best of both their recorded works. ~ Mark Deming

アイアン&ワインことサム・ビームの新たな試みは、ジェスカ・フープとのコラボ盤。ジャジーでAORっぽいアプローチの2013年作『Ghost On Ghost』を経て、今回はグレン・コッチェ(ウィルコ)らの手を借りながら簡素なフォーク路線へ回帰。そうした演奏が、何気ない会話のように展開される2人の掛け合いヴォーカルとフィットしています。アイアン&ワインの初期作品を愛する者にとって、最高の贈り物となるでしょう。
bounce (C)中井幹代