Iron and Wine released an odds-and-sods collection, Around The Well, about a month ago. The two-disc set features material that stretches back to the home recording sessions that birthed singer-songwriter Samuel Beam’s one-man band.

Included among the 23 tracks are covers of The Flaming Lips, The Postal Service, and Stereolab, but the one that grabbed my attention was New Order’s “Love Vigilantes.” It’s a tale of a solider who returns home to his wife, only to realize that he has, in fact, died in battle. Being New Order, the original is cast to a driving dance beat, but being Beam, he strips the tune down to just an acoustic guitar. Creating something akin to back-porch swing, that shift makes the song’s Sixth Sense-ish reveal all the more heartbreaking. Hear here:

Of course, you might recall that Australian band Frente! did something similar to New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” back in 1994, and brilliantly so. I guess New Order is ripe for the picking.

Purchase Iron & Wine – “Love Vigilantes” via Amazon MP3, iTunes. On iTunes, you’ll also find a second, more meditative take featuring Beam’s sister Sarah on backing vocals; I might prefer that version even more.