320 kbps | 106 MB | LINKS
Recorded last summer at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, N.C., Beam and Bridwell alternate singing lead on these 12 cover songs. The title of Sing Into My Mouth comes from a lyric from Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” the opening track of the LP.
The production, of course, is stellar on Sing Into My Mouth. Each singer’s vocals ring clearly. And most surprisingly, a pedal steel guitar wavers throughout the record, adding a twangy ache to Bonnie Raitt’s “Any Day Woman” and El Perro del Mar’s “God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get).” And Beam’s interpretation of Sade’s “Bullet Proof Soul” is as original and captivating as his version of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights.” Other notable covers include Them Two’s “Am I a Good Man?” (which Band of Horses has performed live regularly ) and Pete Seeger’s “Coyote, My Little Brother.”
As A-list indie-folk bands in the 21st century, both Iron & Wine and Band of Horses are most defined by their vocalists. But Beam and Bridwell only share lead vocal duties on a few songs like “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” and strong harmonies on songs like the Marshall Tucker Band’s “Ab’s Song.” So when each singer takes the vocal spotlight alone, it diminishes the effect of the overall collaborative effort. Regardless, the love and care for each of these songs is readily apparent for Beam and Bridwell. While Sing Into My Mouth won’t likely make essential discography lists for either artists, this collaboration is an absolutely enjoyable and exciting listen full of new discoveries for fans of either band.