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16, Maybe Less-Iron & Wine

Beyond the ridge to the left
You asked me what I want
Between the trees and cicadas
Singing round the pond
I spent an hour with you
Should I want anything else?

One grin and wink
Like the neon on a liquor store
We were 16, maybe less
Maybe a little more
I walked home smiling
I finally had a story to tell

And now in autumn time, lullaby
Sing our newborn love to sleep
My brother told me he saw you there
In the woods, morning on Christmas Eve
Waiting

I met my wife at a party
When I drank too much
My son is married
And tells me we don't talk enough
Call it predictable
Yesterday my dream was of you

Beyond the ridge to the west
The sun had left the sky
Between the trees and the pond
You put your hand in mine
Said time has bridled it's bow
But I remember you too

And now in autumn time, lullaby
Sing our newborn love to sleep
I dreamed that I traveled and found you there
In the woods, morning on Christmas Eve
Waiting

Iron and Wine:獨(dú)立民謠時(shí)代的都市鄉(xiāng)愁- -

佛羅里達(dá)州的邁阿密,是美國(guó)最南部的大都市。上個(gè)世紀(jì)晚期,加勒比海流域大批移民涌入,城市老齡化問(wèn)題日益嚴(yán)重,經(jīng)濟(jì)飛速發(fā)展的春天中止,這里似乎與欣欣向榮的南部其他地區(qū)割斷了聯(lián)系。在這樣的城市里出現(xiàn)身患都市懷鄉(xiāng)病的Iron and Wine,似乎是再自然不過(guò)的事情。

Iron and Wine其實(shí)是Samuel Beam一個(gè)人的樂(lè)隊(duì),或者說(shuō),只不過(guò)是他的藝名。這個(gè)大器晚成的男人成名之前是一名電影老師,在佛羅里達(dá)州立大學(xué)任教。1999年Beam有了一臺(tái)四軌機(jī),于是躲在臥室里搗鼓一些lo-fi小玩意兒成了他的一大愛(ài)好。一開(kāi)始這只是個(gè)消磨時(shí)光的法子,跟其他人看電視一樣,繼而他驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn)自己竟然有那么多的歌要寫(xiě),靈感如滔滔江水綿綿不絕,以至于四軌機(jī)報(bào)廢了,不得不添置一臺(tái)電腦。

假如沒(méi)有Sup Pop公司一次偶然的聆聽(tīng),Iron and Wine也許至今仍在他的臥室里自?shī)首詷?lè)。作為專業(yè)的樂(lè)迷,Sup Pop的高層人士徹底被征服了,出于職業(yè)的敏銳,他們立刻明白這也是大眾尋找已久的聲音。經(jīng)過(guò)幾個(gè)月苦口婆心的勸說(shuō),Beam終于將自己積攢的,足夠兩張專輯長(zhǎng)度的作品寄給了Sop Pop。公司最初的想法是將小樣按原樣做成兩張CD發(fā)行,仍舊是出于職業(yè)的敏銳,他們意識(shí)到這樣做似乎對(duì)樂(lè)迷太過(guò)慷慨。在Beam的協(xié)助下,十二首感覺(jué)互相契合的曲目被精心挑選出來(lái),于是有了Iron and Wine 02年的處女作“The Creek Drank the Cradle”。

很難說(shuō)清楚Iron and Wine的音樂(lè)風(fēng)格。藍(lán)草和另類鄉(xiāng)村的根基,田園牧歌般的沉思默想,從某種程度上與Nick Drake、Sparklehorse遙相呼應(yīng)。以詩(shī)意雋永的語(yǔ)言表達(dá)極為個(gè)人化的生活感受,思想的內(nèi)向性、深刻性讓人想起Conor Oberst和Elliot Smith的都市民謠。“在我大量接受采訪之前,我從來(lái)沒(méi)有考慮過(guò)如何給我的音樂(lè)歸類”,Beam說(shuō)道,“我想我喜歡‘民謠’這個(gè)標(biāo)簽。我最近意識(shí)到民謠是除了古典音樂(lè)之外的一切音樂(lè),無(wú)論說(shuō)唱還是搖滾樂(lè)都一樣,民謠就是來(lái)自民間的音樂(lè)。”

事實(shí)上給音樂(lè)歸類只是一個(gè)類似于樂(lè)迷入門(mén)指南的東西,當(dāng)Iron and Wine不落窠臼的音樂(lè)響起,相信你會(huì)有自己的判斷。音樂(lè)好,管它何門(mén)何派?涼爽的夏夜,滿天繁星照耀下寧?kù)o的海灘,這就是第一次聽(tīng)I(yíng)ron and Wine時(shí)我的感受。鋼筋水泥的叢林中,我們依然可以找到釋放情感的地方,有些細(xì)膩、脆弱的情懷仍然能夠得到撫慰。幸好有音樂(lè),這一刻,泛起的不只是音符,還有似曾相識(shí)的鄉(xiāng)愁。