When one thinks of Iron and Wine, a certain sound comes to mind: that soft, whispered murmur of a melody with gently picked acoustic guitar strings (musical comedian Mike Phirman even made fun of it here. But give a listen to the new album Kiss Each Other Clean and you might wonder who exactly you’re listening to…it’s still Iron and Wine, but with new energy and complexity that makes for a great set of tracks.

Sam Beam’s previous effort, The Shepherd’s Dog, was really the first departure from the subdued usual, with songs that were lively, even rousing. Kiss Each Other Clean is a true follow-up, with tracks that sound almost more like The Decemberists that Iron and Wine. The bearded balladeer introduces saxophone, synth, and other surprises into the new album with no difficulty, as if he were fusing funk and acoustic folk his entire career. The ballad-esque “Me and Lazarus” growls, and the biting “Monkeys Uptown” is positively funky. Of course, Beam’s gentler side is still intact, as in the beautifully melodic “Biting Your Tail”, but the dark side that often pervaded Beam’s music and lyrics has lifted and now stands alongside (but is not replaced by) a lighter, cheerier tone.

Kiss Each Other Clean will be released on January 25th, but a full preview performance of the album can be heard and downloaded online. Earlier this month, Iron and Wine made an appearance on public radio station WNYC’s “Soundcheck”, and performed most of the album live. Video and an mp3 download of the session can be found on NPR’s website.

Coinciding with the album release, Iron and Wine will be playing two shows on January 25th and 26th at the Wiltern. Beam and his band will be joined for these shows by Laura Marling, whose gentle acoustic folk will fit in nicely, even if Beam has moved on to livelier pastures.