Iron & Wine and Calexico's collaboration album is really pleasant to listen to and the production is pretty strong. Real problem with the album is I feel it lacks some of the emotion you usually get from an Iron & Wine album. Also aren't really any stand out tracks here. My favorite tracks are What Heaven's Left, Follow the Water and Years to Burn.
The lush instruments are overshadowed by how sleepy and generic the songwriting is.
Fav Tracks: What Heaven's Left, Follow The Water, The Bitter Suite (Pájaro/ Evil Eye / Tennessee Train)
Worst Track: Midnight Sun
Light 5 (52/100, 5/10)
This album picks up almost exactly where the two bands' 2005 EP "In The Rains" ended. Sam Beam has not sounded like this vocally since The Shepherd's Dog. It's a very familiar sounding record that will please fans of the first EP and early Iron & Wine. Besides the nostalgia, the listen is refreshing and I was pleasantly surprised by the content of this LP. It will make the year end list for sure.