"Beard-folk." Silly as it sounds, this style of music is growing into its own subgenre of indie-pop. Acts like Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses are often grouped together based not only on the prominent beards of their lead singers, a style some refer to as "hipster lumberjack," but also based on their hushed, emotional lyrics; acoustic instrumentation; and association with prominent independent labels, like Sub Pop Records. On Jan. 25, the original beard, Iron & Wine, released its first album, titled Kiss Each Other Clean, since 2007's The Shepherd's Dog. Iron & Wine has been the stage name for singer-songwriter Sam Beam since the early 2000s, when Sub Pop Records reached out to him after hearing an initial demo tape. That demo-style, raw, almost unpolished sound has followed Iron & Wine's career, characterizing albums and extended-play albums.

On Kiss Each Other Clean, Iron & Wine moves this simple style in a more complex direction. The album's first single, "Walking Far From Home," opens with the traditional Iron & Wine sound. Beam's vocals have a hint of static, as though he recorded the track in some sort of home studio without any polishing or editing. However, as the track moves on, the static disappears and is replaced by a cooing chorus of Beam's falsetto. The drums, slow at first, start to build and are joined by guitar and bass parts. The lyrics, which feature sinners, lovers and angels, old women and children, trace an independent journey-the idea of exploring the world on one's own before returning to the comforts of home. These lyrics are classic Iron & Wine, full of metaphors and symbolism about the individual experience as well as personal relationships.

"Tree by the River," the album's third track, is a joyful celebration of youthful love. Beam's vocals, backed by harmonizing female voices and his own cooing, are more pop than folk on this track. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone compared the kind of pop on Kiss Each Other Clean to something that could be heard on the radio in the 1970s. Much of the album feels breezy, particularly "Big Burned Hand," which has a beachy, calypso feel and a funky bass line.

Still, other elements of Kiss Each Other Clean exemplify decidedly modern leanings. "Monkeys Uptown" highlights the more cynical, dark side of Iron & Wine. Rather than lyrics about "the sun in our faces" from "Tree by the River," Beam croons about "all the mud and the rain," criticizing some of the downfalls of modern society, which is controlled by the "monkeys uptown." There is something particularly striking about Beam's voice, which usually sounds as if it could be singing a lullaby, cursing about the unavoidable demands placed on each of us by said "monkeys."

Also striking to those very familiar with Iron & Wine is "Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me." The record's last track features a funky horn section. Except for a more stripped-down section in the middle of the song, "Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me" seems oddly uncomfortable. It sounds as if Beam sat in on a recording session with a funk group and simply added vocals on top. While new listeners may appreciate this direction, many who have been with Iron & Wine since the beginning might feel alienated by this track, as it is such a stark departure from the band's trademark sound.

Still, trying out a new sound is not necessarily a bad thing. While the stronger pop and funk influences on this album are something different for Iron & Wine, one also has to wonder how many innovative changes would have remained for Beam if he had stuck to his signature hushed, folkie sound, especially given the growing popularity of said beard-folk.

Iron & Wine is no longer the new, wide-eyed addition to the indie scene; Kiss Each Other Clean was released by Warner Brothers. Beam has been releasing albums for nearly a decade now and has earned the ability to explore new options without losing his fan base or credibility. For the most part, Iron & Wine's new album manages to balance its roots with different directions in a manner that should satisfy most listeners, new and old.