Weed Garden

Weed Garden was recorded during the tour for 2017's Beast Epic. Sam Beam had a few songs left over from the writing sessions for the record that he didn't want to go to waste, so he took the band into the studio and put them on tape. Capturing the same homey, acoustic sound that gave Beast Epic its warm, comforting feel, the six-song EP proves that Beam was right not to let the songs wither on the vine. He also made the right choice by using the same band, which helps give his songs a welcoming, relaxed sound. The opening "What Hurts Worse," with its almost cheerfully loping approach, could have easily fit on the album; "Last of Your Rock 'n' Roll Heroes" is a laid-back, rambling song that's a little looser than one might expect Iron & Wine to sound; and the last three songs on the EP are the kind of introspective, dreamlike ballads that sound like Van Morrison after a few bottle of Xanax, especially the beautifully melancholy "Talking to Fog." As a bonus to longtime Iron & Wine fans, the EP also contains the first official release of a live staple, "Waves of Galveston," which was first done for the A.V. Club and their State Songs project in 2013. Beam and the band give the song a typically sensitive reading, and the vocal harmonies are truly lovely. Weed Garden is a nice little diversion, and finds both Beam and the band he oversees at the top of their long-running game. ~ Tim Sendra