Iron & Wine + Calexico”In the Reins”Iron…

Iron & Wine + Calexico

“In the Reins”

Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam is a great songwriter, but his skeletal recordings don’t always pack as much musical oomph as the emotional weight of the songs can demand. Enter Calexico, kings of Tex-Mex indie rock. Joey Burns, John Convertino and crew turn out to be perfect complements to Beam’s melancholy songs. “Dead Man’s Will,” a quirky folk song featuring Burns, Beam and Natalie Wyants singing close harmonies, is both peppier and poppier than anything either act has come up with on its own. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Best track: “History of Lovers,” the rare upbeat-sounding song about a love triangle that ends in murder.