Ghost on Ghost

Ghost on Ghost
Studio album by
Iron & Wine
ReleasedApril 16, 2013
GenreIndie pop, indie folk, jazz, blues
Length44:04
Label4AD, Nonesuch
ProducerBrian Deck, Sam Beam
Iron & Wine chronology
Kiss Each Other Clean
(2011) 		Ghost on Ghost
(2013) 		Archive Series Volume No. 1
(2015)
Singles from Ghost on Ghost
  1. "Lovers' Revolution"
    Released: January 31, 2013
  2. "Grace for Saints and Ramblers"
    Released: February 25, 2013
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
American Songwriter[3]
The A.V. ClubB+[4]
Blurt[5]
Consequence of Sound[6]
The Independent[7]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[8]
Paste8.5/10[9]
Pitchfork6.1/10[10]
Sputnikmusic2.9/5[11]

Ghost on Ghost is the fifth full-length studio album by Iron & Wine, released April 16, 2013 via 4AD (worldwide) and Nonesuch in the US. The album's title is taken from the lyrics of "Grace for Saints and Ramblers" and the cover is taken from photographer Barbara Crane's series "Private Views."[12] Ghost on Ghost exhibits jazz, pop, and R&B influences and contains a more relaxed style and approach in comparison to Beam's previous two albums, which he felt contained an "anxious tension" he wanted to move away from.[13][14]

The album debuted at No. 26 on Billboard 200,[15] and No. 9 on Rock Albums,[16] selling 16,000 copies in its first week. The album has sold 51,000 copies in the United States as of June 2015.[17]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Caught in the Briars"3:12
2."The Desert Babbler"3:27
3."Joy"2:30
4."Low Light Buddy of Mine"3:29
5."Grace for Saints and Ramblers"3:36
6."Grass Widows"2:53
7."Singers and the Endless Song"3:38
8."Sundown (Back in the Briars)"2:18
9."Winter Prayers"3:11
10."New Mexico's No Breeze"4:27
11."Lovers' Revolution"5:40
12."Baby Center Stage"5:39
Total length:44:04

Personnel

Iron & Wine
  • Sam Beam – vocals, guitars
  • Rob Burger – acoustic and electric pianos, organ (1, 4, 6, 11, 12), clavinet (4), celesta (5), hammered dulcimer (4), Jew's harp (4), tubular bells (10)
  • Tony Garnier – bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12)
  • Tony Scherr – upright bass (3, 8, 9), ukulele bass (4), guitar (3)
  • Brian Blade – drums & percussion (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12)
  • Kenny Wollesen – drums & percussion (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9), bowed vibraphone (9)
  • Paul Niehaus – pedal steel guitar (2, 7, 9, 12)

Chart positions

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 61
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] 153
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] 88
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 48
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[22] 32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 43
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 100
UK Albums (OCC)[25] 40
US Billboard 200[26] 26
US Rock Albums (Billboard)[26] 9
US Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums (Billboard)[26] 9

References

  1. ^ "Critic Reviews for Ghost on Ghost". Metacritc.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  2. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Album review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  3. ^ Terich, Jeff (2013-03-11). "Album review". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  4. ^ Modell, Josh (2013-04-16). "Album review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  5. ^ Toland, Michael (2013-04-16). "Album review". Blurt Magazine. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  6. ^ Arroyo, Steven (April 17, 2013). "Album Review: Iron and Wine – Ghost on Ghost". Chicago. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  7. ^ Richman, Simmy (2013-04-13). "Album: Iron and Wine, Ghost on Ghost". The Independent. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  8. ^ Oinomen, Janne (2013-04-09). "Iron & Wine – Ghost on Ghost". thelineofbestfit.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  9. ^ Heselgrave, Douglas (2013-04-16). "Album review". pastemagazine.com.
  10. ^ Deusner, Stephen (2013-04-19). "Album review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  11. ^ Tan, Irving (May 8, 2013). "Album Review – Iron & Wine: Ghost on Ghost". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  12. ^ "About Iron and Wine". Ironandwine.com. 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  13. ^ "Iron & Wine Return With New Album Ghost on Ghost, Share New Track "Lovers' Revolution" | News". Pitchfork. 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  14. ^ Thompson, Stephen (2013-04-07). "First Listen: Iron And Wine, 'Ghost On Ghost'". NPR. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  15. ^ "Billboard 200: May 4, 2014". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Rock Albums: May 4, 2014". Billboard.
  17. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Iron And Wine – Ghost On Ghost" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Iron And Wine – Ghost On Ghost" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  20. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Iron And Wine – Ghost On Ghost" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  21. ^ "Iron And Wine: Ghost On Ghost" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  22. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Iron And Wine – Ghost On Ghost". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  23. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Iron And Wine – Ghost On Ghost". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  24. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Iron And Wine – Ghost On Ghost". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  25. ^ "Iron and Wine | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  26. ^ a b c "Ghost on Ghost – Iron and Wine Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 28, 2014.