Album review: IRON AND WINE & BEN BRIDWELL – Sing Into My Mouth

IRON AND WINE & BEN BRIDWELL - Sing Into My Mouth

Black Cricket/Brown Records [Release date 17.07.15]

Iron And Wine is a strange pseudo name for an individual – Samuel “Sam” Beam, an American singer-songwriter who’s released five studio albums, here teams up with Band Of Horses lead singer Ben Bridwell to release an album of covers of songs that have inspired the duo’s collective 77 years.

Both South Carolina raised, the pair’s history dates back to Beam giving demos to Bridwell’s brother who passed then on to a magazine editor who included on one on one of his magazine’s compilation CDs. It marked the start of Beam’s recording career at the beginning of the noughties – a period when he and Bridwell were regularly exchanging music they listening to.

15 years on, the pair have finally found the space to create a homage to 12 songs of the that had an indelible influence on them ranging from Talking Heads’ ‘This Must Be The Place’ to ‘Ab’s Song’ by The Marshall Tucker Band, and touching down in between on songs by Ronnie Lane, Bonnie Rait, John Cale, Sade, Spiritualised, JJ Cale and Pete Seeger, amongst others.

It’s a gentle, laid back, Southern affair with the most compelling numbers being Them Two’s ‘Am I A Good Man’ – a soul number that is give a Southern Man treatment, and ‘There’s No Way Out Of Here’, originally recorded by 1970s act Unicorn, but better known as the lead single from David Gilmour’s 1978 eponymous solo debut.

It just goes to demonstrate that music is a very personal thing, and when a number strikes a wider chord, it’s because it connects – for whatever reason – across a broad spectrum. Across Sing Into My Mouth there’s echoes of The Eagles, Leo Sayer, Chris De Burgh, John Lennon and Neil Young.

But great songs, are great songs, and ‘There’s No Way Out Of Here’ shines like a beacon. It’s little wonder it’s being released as a single. ***

Review by Pete Whalley

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)