The Sea and the Rhythm
Label: Sub Pop
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: The Sea and the Rhythm
If you liked last year’s “The Creek Drank the Cradle,” you’ll like “The Sea and the Rhythm,” a five-song batch of acoustic brooding from the same recording session in Sam Beam’s Miami bedroom. In a world of shouting, Beam’s voice draws you in like a lover whispering in your ear. His evocative lyrics make it hard to stop paying attention once you start, and his simple acoustic guitar/banjo arrangements pay homage to the essence of folk at its stripped-down best. The gem on this collection is “Jesus the Mexican Boy,” a sepia-toned tale of forgiveness, humility and redemption.
This article appears in Oct 1-7, 2003.