While it's unusual to bestow such an honor on a release that plays less than 24 minutes, it's not much of a stretch to call Iron and Wine's six-song EP
The Woman King one of the best albums of 2005. Folk singer Jim Beam grows into something more than 2004's fantasic release
Our Endless Numbered Days - in all it's beautiful lo-fi, Beam shows that he can be so much more.
Woman King opens with the titular track - full with distortion and percussion accompanying Beam's whispery voice and acoustic guitar. It's not so much of a reversal from Iron and Wine's previous minimalist releases as much as a logical step.
To go along with the added layers of music, Jim Beam shows that he can [censored] bring it with a couple of rockers that'll having you tapping your feet.
It's hard to choose a song from this album. Four of the six represent a departure from the previous works but the two that would seem right in place in 2004 - "Jezebel," and "In My Lady's House" are both strong tracks, the former in particular might be the best track on the EP.
However, "Evening On The Ground (Lilith's Song)" probably best combines the elements of old and new. The acoustic guitar is the strongest on the album and fits right into layers of harmonica, electric guitar, and percussion to make a surreal sound. The lyrics, too, while scant, might be the strongest of the record with lines such as "we were born to [censored] each other one way or another." It also has the advantage of being the shortest song off the album, which makes my uploads and your downloads quicker.
Download "Evening On The Ground (Lilith's Song)"