Two long-time indie rock pioneers have joined forces for a second time on the album “Years to Burn” by Iron and Wine and Calexico. The experimental nature of the two bands makes this more than just a collaboration, it’s the furthering of each other’s sound.

In 2005 the two acts recorded an ep called “In the Reins” and in the years since have collaborated on each other’s work but since that ep or perhaps because of it, Sam Beam of Iron & Wine has greatly expanded his musical palette and the more recent recordings are much more intricate and nuanced than his earlier hushed acoustic ballads. Calexico, similarly, has toned down their early mexicali rock to a more subtle and layered approach. It’s at this point that their music intersects perfectly with a challenging and stately set of songs.

The two groups complement each other’s strengths on plentiful ballads with lyrics that are all about time and how it is measured.

With the title of the album playing off on length of time since these artists have recorded together, “Years to Burn” is less like a fun jam session between friends and more like a well thought out path that only Calexico and Iron and Wine could create yet sounding like nothing either has done before.   

• 
•