Love Letter for Fire

Love Letter for Fire is a collaborative album by American singer-songwriter Sam Beam, commonly known as Iron & Wine, and American singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop, released on April 15, 2016 on Sub Pop.

Love Letter for Fire
Studio album by
Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop
ReleasedApril 15, 2016 (2016-04-15)
StudioFlora Recording & Playback, Portland, Oregon
GenreIndie folk
Length38:50
LabelSub Pop
ProducerTucker Martine
Iron & Wine chronology
Sing into My Mouth
(2015)		 Love Letter for Fire
(2016)		 Beast Epic
(2017)
Jesca Hoop chronology
Undress
(2014)		 Love Letter for Fire
(2016)		 Memories Are Now
(2017)
Singles from Love Letter for Fire
  1. "Every Songbird Says"
    Released: February 10, 2016
  2. "Valley Clouds"
    Released: March 10, 2016

Love Letter for Fire was recorded at Flora Recording & Playback in Portland, Oregon. The album features contributions from Wilco's Glenn Kotche, Rob Burger, Eyvind Kang, Sebastian Steinberg, and Edward Rankin-Parker. It was produced, recorded, and mixed by Tucker Martine. Iron & Wine and Jesca Hoop are touring North America in support of the album, starting in May 2016.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The A.V. ClubB+[4]
Consequence of SoundB[5]
The Guardian[6]
musicOMH[7]
Paste7.9/10[8]
Pitchfork7.5/10[9]
PopMatters[10]

Love Letter for Fire received largely positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[2]

Emmanuel Elone of PopMatters praised the album, stating, "By playing on the strengths of both artists while minimizing any deficiencies each may have, Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop have mastered the collaborative album. Where Iron & Wine can sound a bit too sleepy, Hoop plays up her vocals or instrumentation to keep the music lively; if she begins to make her performance a bit too grandiose, Beam is there to keep her feet on level ground. As a whole, Love Letter for Fire is the sonic equivalent of sitting in front of a campfire on the starry night with a couple of close friends strumming their acoustic guitar; it’s bucolic, simple, and guaranteed to delight. So grab some hot chocolate, put on the most comfortable pair of sweatpants that you can find, and let Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop serenade you with their majestic voices. If that’s not magical, nothing is."[10]

Allison Hussey of Pitchfork Media gave the album a favorable review, stating, "Instead of a love letter to consuming blazes, Hoop's and Beam's collection appeals to our individual internal pilot lights: those softly smoldering flames that illuminate moments of beauty in ourselves, in each other, and beyond."[9] Mark Deming of AllMusic gave the album a favorable review, stating, "Love Letter for Fire sounds like Beam and Hoop were born to work together. The yin and yang of their individual perspectives fit together marvelously, and this rests comfortably with the best of both their recorded works."[3]

Accolades
Publication Accolade Year Rank
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
34[11]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop.

No.TitleLength
1."Welcome to Feeling"0:58
2."One Way to Pray"3:28
3."The Lamb You Lost"3:31
4."We Two Are a Moon"2:34
5."Midas Tongue"3:03
6."Know the Wild That Wants You"2:57
7."Every Songbird Says"3:23
8."Bright Lights and Goodbyes"3:43
9."Kiss Me Quick"2:44
10."Chalk It Up to Chi"2:20
11."Valley Clouds"3:20
12."Soft Place to Land"3:34
13."Sailor to Siren"3:15
Total length:38:50

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Love Letter for Fire.[12]

Main personnel
Additional personnel
  • Tucker Martine – production, recording, mixing
  • Michael Finn – assistant engineering
  • Richard Dodd – mastering
  • John Golden – vinyl mastering
  • Keegan Curry – additional technician assistance
  • Josh Wool – back cover photography
  • Lissa Gotwals – front cover photography
  • Dusty Summers – design
  • Jesca Hoop – design
  • Sam Beam – design

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[13] 163
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[14] 21
US Billboard 200[15] 174
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[16] 7
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[17] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[18] 15
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[19] 14
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[20] 20
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References
  1. Monroe, Jazz (2016-02-10). "Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) Teams With Jesca Hoop for Duets Album and Tour". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  2. "Love Letter for Fire – Sam Beam". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  3. Deming, Mark (2016-04-14). "Love Letter for Fire – Sam Beam, Jesca Hoop". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  4. Swedlund, Eric (2016-04-15). "A collaboration with Jesca Hoop reinvigorates Iron and Wine's Sam Beam". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  5. Dick, Jonathan K (2016-04-13). "Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop – Love Letter for Fire". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  6. Gibsone, Harriet (2016-04-14). "Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop: Love Letter for Fire review – magnetic, dusky Americana". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  7. White, Chris (2016-04-14). "Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop – Love Letter for Fire". musicOMH. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  8. Zimmerman, Lee (2016-04-15). "Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop: Love Letter For Fire". Paste. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  9. Hussey, Allison (2016-04-18). "Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop: Love Letter for Fire". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  10. Elone, Emmanuel (2016-04-11). "Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop: Love Letter for Fire". PopMatters. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  11. "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Paste. November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  12. Love Letter for Fire (LP liner notes). Sam Beam/Jesca Hoop. Sub Pop. 2016. SP1165.CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. "CHART: CLUK Update 23.04.2016 (wk16)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  14. "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  15. "Sam Beam Jesca Hoop Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  16. "Sam Beam Jesca Hoop Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  17. "Sam Beam Jesca Hoop Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  18. "Sam Beam Jesca Hoop Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  19. "Sam Beam Jesca Hoop Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  20. "Sam Beam Jesca Hoop Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
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