Audio Mixer: Brian Deck.

Audio Remasterer: Neil Strauch.

Recording information: KUOW, Seattle, WA.

Delving deep into the Iron & Wine discography, the 23-track AROUND THE WELL compilation unearths rarities from indie-folk singer-songwriter Sam Beam's considerable catalogue. The first half of the Sub Pop collection focuses on spare, hushed bedroom recordings, many from Beam's formative CREEK DRANK THE CRADLE era--most notably the melancholy, God-fearing "Dearest Forsaken" and the achingly intimate "Sacred Vision." In relative contrast, WELL's latter half showcases Iron & Wine in full-band form, particularly on tracks written for the IN GOOD COMPANY soundtrack--"The Trapeze Swinger," a quietly expansive epic, and previously unissued companion pieces such as the romantic "Belated Promise Ring."

Named after a lyric from "The Trapeze Swinger," Around the Well collects two discs' worth of B-sides, rarities, soundtrack inclusions, and discarded tracks from the Iron & Wine catalog. Such compilations can be tricky to assemble, but Around the Well is both comprehensive and conveniently presented, with each disc representing the two amorphous halves of Iron & Wine's career. Disc one is limited to the group's early days, featuring the soft bedroom whispers, homespun acoustics, and resolutely lo-fi production that fueled Sam Beam's home recording sessions. Material from those same sessions would later pepper the set list of The Creek Drank the Cradle, but Around the Well pays attention to the songs that were cut from the album, offering several gems amidst a constant dream of pleasing, stay-in-bed songcraft. Meanwhile, the second disc highlights Iron & Wine's shift from intimate solo project to collaborative indie folk affair, beginning with the Our Endless Numbered Days sessions and culminating in the pastoral psychedelia of The Shepherd's Dog. Some of these selections are already familiar to Iron & Wine's most fervent fans, including Beam's cover of "Such Great Heights" (heard on the Garden State soundtrack, as well as an oddly kaleidoscopic M&Ms commercial) and the gorgeous concert staple "The Trapeze Swinger." Nevertheless, the compilation does offer some surprising inclusions -- just listen to the piano-fueled barroom strut of "Kingdom of the Animals," or the vaguely Middle Eastern experimentation of "Arms of a Thief" -- and Around the Well serves as a helpful reminder that a discarded Iron & Wine song is still better than many fine-tuned cuts from similar bands. ~ Andrew Leahey