Folksy tunes slowly edging their way to the top of the charts is not a new phenomenon; groups like Mumford & Sons and Imagine Dragons have given listeners an indie reprieve from more typical synthesizer-driven pop. Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam has made his mark on the genre with eclectic, intimate albums that have often been compared to the works of Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel and Neil Young.

Beam’s newest release, Ghost on Ghost, is consistent with his other albums in that there is no consistency. In his typical style, the bearded singer/songwriter attempts to draw a refreshed sense of poignancy and reflection from his songs by pushing the boundaries he had previously set for himself. In his own words, Beam seeks to lose an “anxious tension” found in his previous four albums by instead infusing jazzy, subtle piano and demure strings where he might have previously employed guitar-heavy melodies. Gone are the bare-bones tracks that make acoustic nods to long-gone eras, but Beam has enough control over his music that the change is far from a downgrade. The end result is a polished compilation of songs which may be a departure from his more raw earlier work, but it should be praised for its impressionistic and exquisite style.

The effort to create a more relaxed album is heavily evident in tracks such as “Joy” and “Winter Prayers.” In “Joy,” Beam employs whispered lyrics and echoes to create a softer musical feel. Both tracks take advantage of lilting piano to create a superficially more tranquil sound expertly underscored by the introspective musings of his lyrics. While the former examines the impact a significant other can have on your life and the changes that affect the simple things, “Winter Prayers,” masquerades as a low-key piece, bearing resentment towards a lost love. In characteristic Iron and Wine fashion, whether the songs are slow or experiment more with a pop influence, the lyrics boast more than the original subtle brass section or humble-sounding vocals reveal.

More musically upbeat, but equally reflective, counterparts to “Winter Prayers” include “Low Light Buddy of Mine” and “Caught in the Briars.” The latter is bouncy and features background percussion while highlighting Beam’s luxurious vocals. “Low Light Buddy of Mine” is stylistically a departure from “Caught in the Briars” and instead plays around with a sound that seems fit for a wine bar, with its smoky jazz accents and meandering rhythm.

It is a tribute to Beam’s mastery as an artist that he manages to encapsulate such a variety of styles into an album that already deviates from the style of his former albums and keep each song strong in its own right. Beam has personally expressed that it’s his goal for every one of his new releases to create something that he never has before, and this becomes further apparent upon further exploration of Ghost on Ghost. “Lover’s Revolution” makes use of a much larger ensemble that creates a big-band sense of grandeur and employs a call-and-response chorus, if for no other reason than to mix things up. And it works. Even with “Lover’s Revolution” juxtaposed with the lazy, crooning “Grass Windows,” the album remains strong.

The unique blend of styles makes each song stand out on its own and makes the album itself almost irresistible. There is a track to fit every mood, and the contrast between instrumentation and lyrics allows each song to not be restricted to a specific musical classification. Ghost on Ghost is the kind of album that can be continually revisited since each song is distinguished enough but luxuriously merges with the others to create a cohesive album.