Iron Wine was one of the surprises of 2002. The Creek Drank the Cradle was a lo-fi melancholic gem of a record that drew apt comparisons to classic bedroom pop artists like Lou Barlow and Sebadoh, the Mountain Goats, and Nick Drake. Sam Beam, the man behind Iron Wine, possesses a honey-soft voice that caresses his literate lyrics so very gently and a dense guitar style that fills up space without ever playing a wrong note. So often voice-and-guitar records can begin to sound monotonous, and Iron Wine never even approaches that shortcoming. The Sea the Rhythm is a five-track EP made up of songs recorded at the same time as Creek. Low-key, melancholy, and unfailingly beautiful, all the songs are good enough to have been on the album. Beneath the Balcony and Jesus the Mexican Boy have the crispest melodies; Someday the Waves is the song that will stick with you the longest. It sounds like a lost Crosby, Stills Nash track, only without hippie-ish lyrics and with only one guy creating the towering vocal harmonies. The Sea the Rhythm is a lovely stopgap to help ease the painful wait for the next Iron Wine album -- 21 minutes of sweet, quiet pain. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi

1		Beneath the Balcony
2		The Sea and the Rhythm
3		The Night Descending
4		Jesus the Mexican Boy
5		Someday the Waves

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