Sam Beam had apparently never heard of Jesca Hoop when it was suggested that he and the English singer might be a good creative fit. And it’s true: their voices weave together wonderfully, the Iron And Wine man’s syrupy baritone snuggling easily alongside Hoop’s expressive rasp.

This is an ambling affair and there are few stylistic departures from the music Beam has made across the past decade. That trademark wryness is present, augmented by Hoop’s world-weary affect, coming together most winningly on the singles ‘Every Songbird Says’ and ‘Valley For Clouds’.

“Some of my favorite songs are duets,” explained Beam, who last year collaborated with Glen Hansard and Band Of Horse’s Ben Bridewell. “The narrative is expanded. It’s not just a monologue. It’s a conversation, and so it gets complicated. I had melodies over the years that I’d been compiling that I thought, this sounds like a classic Kenny and Dolly, ‘Islands In The Stream’ kind of thing, or George and Tammy.” This is not a record of surprises – it isn’t even especially ambitious.
But Beam and Hoop go together perfectly, each bringing out something new in the other. They are an odd couple who feel absolutely right side by side.

8/10
Key Song- Every Songbird Stays