Iron & Wine — Hen’s Teeth
Step into a shimmering, mystical wonderland.
Indie folk veteran Iron & Wine has maintained a fairly regular and consistent output throughout his now over 20-year career. Now, two years since his last record, the South Carolina-born singer-songwriter returns with Hen’s Teeth, his eleventh studio album, released February 27th via Sub Pop records. Despite such an extensive discography, however, it doesn’t feel at all like Sam Beam has run out of engaging ideas.
Per the artist’s own description, the purpose of Hen’s Teeth is to create a fantastical atmosphere of sorts, craft “an impossible thing but it’s real” – as the absurd concept in the title suggests. The album absolutely succeeds in achieving the somewhat surreal quality, while still managing to maintain a soft, serene folk atmosphere. The ambience of the album is built largely on the laid-back, spaced out mixes, and added to very well by the wonderful string work on tracks like “Paper and Stone”, “Singing Saw” or “Dates and Dead People”, and the backing vocals throughout the project. Beam’s own lead vocals are typically soft and pensive, complimenting the serene instrumental work perfectly. The vocals, like the album as a whole, carry a charmingly tranquil atmosphere, creating a real sense of peace and security. The structuring and flow of the project is very cohesive and consistent, able to make each track its own little world while continuing to make them all fit together perfectly as a body of work.
The lyricism on the project is, in signature Iron & Wine fashion, a little enigmatic at times, but enthralling nonetheless. The album is written in a very vivid way, with interesting, at times somewhat unusual imagery and plenty of memorable lines, such as “And I keep making for a door that isn't open // Praying for dry ground” on “Into Your Ocean” or “There's nothing but devils in a vanity mirror // Pick the one that you know” on the aforementioned “Dates and Dead People” – one of the major highlights of the album. It still feels fresh and interesting lyrically, despite all the years of Iron & Wine music before it, and it’s clear that Beam put a lot of meticulous effort into the construction of the lyrical pictures of the LP.
Overall, Hen’s Teeth is nothing if not a testament to the masterful musicianship of Sam Beam. The album has just one writer and one producer listed – Beam himself, and he excels in both departments. It’s a beautifully peaceful project, one that feels warm and welcoming in the best possible way, and is one of the highlight releases of 2026 so far. Anyone looking for something relaxed and harmonious to listen to could certainly do considerably worse.
8.0/10
