Samuel Beam, better known by his pseudonym Iron & Wine released his fifth studio album “Ghost on Ghost” on Tuesday.
The album showcases Beam’s magnificent storytelling ability intertwined with his lively voice, a deep polished alto that leads you to imagine a guitar positioned casually across his torso and a whiskey on the rocks at his side as he croons soulfully into a microphone illuminating the studio. The chords Beam has emitted over the years are distinct enough to bring Iron & Wine Indie fame amidst a sea of singer-songwriters. His often narrative lyrics play with spiritual metaphors and subtle biblical undertones. “Ghost on Ghost” reminds his audience why Beam continues to stand out, interweaving a jazz influence and ambient chords to create a unique sound unique to Iron & Wine.
Guided heavily by background progressions and delicate chords provided by an accompanying piano and string section, the album carries a passivity absent in 2011’s “Kiss Each Other Clean.” Beam continues his experimentation with voice synthesizing, creating a layered effect first introduced on 2007’s “The Shepherd’s Dog,” which was voted No. 10 on the top-100 albums of the year in 2007 by “Paste Magazine.” 
“Ghost on Ghost” harkens back to the simplistic writing of 2002’s “The Creek Drank the Cradle.” The track “Joy” echoes Bean’s early writing style, overlaying past and present into fluent metaphoric musings on life. “Joy” begins with an internal reflection, “deep inside the heart of this troubled man / there’s an itty-bitty boy tugging hard at your hand,” and mid-way transitions to ruminations on a lover: “deep inside the heart of this crazy mess /I’m only calm when I get lost within your wilderness.”
The title track “Grace for Saints and Ramblers,” which contains the album’s namesake lyrics, is a heavily metaphorical love song displaying Beam’s poetic ability. The tune chronicles individuals stereotypical to a town while coming back to the tell-tale refrain, “But it all came down to you and I.”
“Ghost on Ghost” eloquently illustrates Beam’s graceful transition from an unknown folk sensation to soul crooner and notable singer-songwriter of the 21st century.