Iron And Wine Our Endless Numbered Days Release date: March 23, 2004 Label: Sub Pop Rating: 4 / 5 Sam Beam... Sam Beam... Oh you wonderful heavily bearded man, Sam Beam. When I strap on my earphones and begin to listen to Our Endless Numbered Days, I instantly have visions of a hobbyist. You know... one of those guys who spends his time building those "boat in a bottle" model kits. The time and attention to gentle detail required to bring the boat to life, while dealing with the obvious confines of a fragile glass bottle, is nothing short of a miracle. The end result of a completed project causing onlookers to wonder how it all came to life may be rewarding, but the process of creation is only for those with a passion for patience and the love of the little things. The latest Iron And Wine disk is a testament to the love of little things. Sam Beam, who records under the title of Iron And Wine, spent time crafting his second CD in more modern recording environment. With patient precision, he builds and brings to life the most gentle and fragile of songs, pairing articulate finger picked guitars with his lullaby whispered vocals. There's clear evidence Beam has consciously worked to evolve the Iron And Wine sound from it's DIY 4-track recorder roots. The most obvious step forward is the addition of supporting instrumentation, specifically gentle banjo plucking, piano counter melody, and selective percussive pieces. Puritan fans of his first album may raise an eyebrow of concern over the addition of these instruments, yet if anything, these new sounds supplement Beam's work adding a new level of depth. The result comes off true to form, giving proof that success of the first Iron And Wine offerings were not accidental or as a result of the charms of lo-fi home recording warmth. Our Endless Numbered Days falls into a rare category of CD. It's one of the few CDs you may find your parents stealing from your collection for their own listening enjoyment. You may be appalled by this, but realize that CDs which fall into this category usually have a timeless sense of quality. One listen to this gentle wonder and you'll be hiding your CDs, for fear of being stolen. -Rob Anand Elsewhere Iron And Wine website Published : April 22, 2004.