What's the opinion on Iron and Wine around these parts?

What's the opinion on Iron and Wine around these parts?

the creek drank the cradle is one of my favorite albums

I tried to start a thread about Kiss Eachother Clean yesterday and it got zero replies.
One of my favorite albums

I love I&W

Shepherds Dog is one of favorite albums ever

I listen to them every once in a while, really like what sam beam did with calexico

The Trapeze Swinger is beautiful

sam beam's album from last year with jesca hoop was p good. definitely more twangy and "americana"-ish than most iron & wine if that's up your alley

They're pretty inoffensive, which will lead a lot of people around here to call them bad, but I like them for what they are. Sam is a fantastic songwriter and that alone I think makes them worthy of some recognition.

Also if The Shephard's Dog was made by someone with less of an established image, this place would gush over it.

lel I saw that and considered posting to it, but just figured it would only lead to people yelling about nu-males or something.

Such a good album. Upward Over The Mountain makes me cry everytime.

I used to like it, but now I think it's twee.

>The Shepard's Dog
I listened to that album last week. Forgot how much I liked it.

faggot

Damnit, I've been found out.

Youtube-core I've refused to listen to.

>Youtube-core
Oh good god

Once I got baked and listened to 16, Maybe Less and I started to tear up

I've never been that emotional over a song

Where should I start with them? I've heard them mentioned in pop culture ephemera but I've literally never heard a single track of theirs. Is it as pretentious as it seems?

Start with the creek drank the cradle and go chronologically

Start with the OP album
Creek Drank the Cradle is Lofi and might put you off but if you like the singer/songwriter aspect do that after, if you want something with more production go to Shepherd's Dog

And Sam's work isn't pretentious it's very down to earth and he puts a lot of thought and effort into his lyrics and music

Check out the acoustic version from the Such Great Heights single. Somehow better than the original.

I also dig Evening On The Ground (Lillith's Song). One if his best.

It's not pretentious at all. If anything it's his earnestness that might be grating.