Ghost on Ghost

Iron & Wine - Ghost on Ghost
Critic Score
Based on 31 reviews
2013 Ratings: #361 / 1115
User Score
Based on 81 ratings
2013 Rank: #347
Liked by 4 people
April 16, 2013 / Release Date
LP / Format
Nonesuch / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Uncut
Professor Beam has made his first art movie, and it's a stunner.
85
Paste

With 12 great new songs, each with its own spirit, style and direction, Ghost On Ghost is the best album in Iron & Wine’s already impressive discography.

83
A.V. Club

Most of Ghost On Ghost treads territory similar to Kiss Each Other Clean, just with a bit more loose-limbed joy replacing that album’s austere moments.

80
The 405

Ghost on Ghost is the sound of a man who's settled, but not complacent. 

80
AllMusic

Bringing the scale back down to something human while injecting some jazz and sunshine into the I&W sound proves to be a very good strategy for Beam, and it makes Ghost on Ghost one of the most satisfying albums the group has done to date.

70
DIY

'Ghost On Ghost' lets him relax even further, relying on the band to exist as a band of their own – a lot of the music was written by them, rather than simply taking cues from their bearded leader.

70
Drowned in Sound

Whilst arguably Beam's most consistent album for some years, there are fewer moments of raw beauty here than on past excursions, resulting in a whole that is somehow less than its impressive component parts. 

70
musicOMH

It may not be quite as complete or redefining an artistic statement as some other albums released so far this year but Ghost On Ghost is a relaxed, unburdened work that should please most fans and generally be viewed positively elsewhere.

70
NME

Former earnest acoustic-type Sam Beam's fifth album sees him taking further, grander steps in the shiny loafers of a cheesy 1970s crooner with a fondness for symphonic folk and a soul groove.

61
Pitchfork

Ghost on Ghost is best when it’s most straightforward and worst when the experimentalism becomes desperate rather than bold.

60
Consequence of Sound

As puzzle pieces to a full-length album, at least a third of these songs come off as superfluous and unnecessary. 

60
PopMatters

Ghost on Ghost is quaint, and that’s better to hear than something that’s completely unmoving.

58
Sputnikmusic

It may be palatable and generally inoffensive on a whole, but Ghost on Ghost really goes down best when viewed as a supplement to other better, more transcendent material already out there.

50
Under the Radar

From a simple accessibility standpoint, the songs on Ghost on Ghost are not as strong as those from his past.

Hawkeye7
65

Not a huge fan of this one, but I really enjoy the track "Lovers' Revolution". It makes really want a Iron and wine jazz album.

KingIsCole10
61

Ghost on Ghost is certainly more focused than the previous record, but overall its still just too forgettable and not interesting enough to return to besides some tracks. My favorite track is Baby Center Stage.

AmericaanSpirit
84

The combination of jazz and folk is at its peak here; its raw, emotional and justly terrific.

BEST TRACKS: The Desert Babbler, New Mexico's No Breeze, Low Light Buddy of Mine, Baby Center Stage

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Added on: January 31, 2013