Since releasing his debut LP The Creek Drank the Cradle in 2002, Sam Beam of Iron and Wine has used crooning vocals and an acoustic guitar to express themes of heartbreak and melancholy. With Ghost on Ghost, his latest release, Beam presses forward, moving toward cleaner, polished songs without losing that sense of intimacy. Despite introducing pianos, saxophones, drums, and cooing background singers to his previously more unadorned sound, Beam never strays from the focus: the wistful whisper of his voice, and his poignant, heartfelt lyrics.

In “Lover’s Revolution,” a full-out jazz ensemble interrupts the track; all the while, Beam’s lyrics reveal suppressed anger about a tumultuous relationship. (“All the fingers that we damaged when all we wanted was a diamond ring”). It’s clear that this is a new musical direction—in some ways, Beam is paying tribute to the good old days of 70s pop. Showstopper track “Grace for Saints and Ramblers” recalls a Beatles’ rambling love tune, and “Winter Prayers” echoes Simon & Garfunkel. However, by alternating between tense and languid lyrics, Beam makes it work. In fact, those who might miss the soft, folksy spins through rural America found on Beams’ earlier work won’t be disappointed —“Caught in the Briars” conjures up summer in South Carolina, a lyrical conceit that arises throughout the album, and “Winter Prayers” transports listeners to desolate Wisconsin.

Even more, with songs like “Joy,” Beam revives familiar sounds: the comforting croon of his voice with sparse background instrumentals. The similarly structured finale, “Baby Center Stage,” calls Beam’s old hit “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” to mind, commenting on love and loss. Iron and Wine has always created intensely personal listening experiences, and Ghost on Ghost beautifully follows that trend. Of course, instead of just the listener and Beam, it becomes the listener, Beam, and his growing collection of instruments—but, fortunately, Ghost on Ghost never feels crowded.