Iron and Wine @ The Queen's Hall

The last time Iron and Wine toured Edinburgh they played the intimate, sweaty and now sadly defunct environs of the Venue. Now the band returns, this time to the prestigious Queen's Hall. But what have they lost in transition? Playing with an expanded band which includes Calexico's Paul Niehaus on steel guitar, their sound is loud and full, filling out the hall with ease. And this works well in the context of songs from their new LP, but poses a wall for the old work. Sam Beam's earlier albums just don't survive the transition from solitary whispers and softly plucked guitar to full-band ballads. In fact, they're terrible. Beam has mentioned an admiration for Tom Waits' stage experimentation, but artists should sometimes let old work stand for what its worth: first George Lucas, now it seems Iron and Wine have fallen victim to false creative redaction. Comfortable with their new sound but badly applying it to their old style, it's like a mid-life crisis. [Hamza Khan]