Iron & Wine soft and sweet -- with a few subtle surprises

The hushed, subtle music of singer-songwriter Sam Beam, who records and performs under the name Iron & Wine, had a vaguely Appalachian feel at points during his sold-out Saturday show at the Knitting Factory. The artist’s long, bushy beard furthered this impression, though Beam actually hails from Miami.

Such unexpected surprises were part of the pleasure of hearing Beam and his quartet’s hour-plus set on this first of two consecutive nights. Although selections from his sophomore collection, “Our Endless Numbered Days,” and other material bore traces of blues, ‘70s classic rock and country, it was still startling to hear the power of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning” enclosed within a nuanced, folky arrangement.

The album’s delicate sonic embellishments keep Beam’s tunes one step away from sleep-inducing, but the live setting better emphasized his charms. His quiet yet commanding vocals remained the focus, while the songs were opened up with extra guitar, banjo, bass and percussion, as well as the sweet sibling harmonies of Beam and his sister, Sara. From dreamy numbers such as “On Your Wings” to livelier full-band works, the songs captured moods with words and melody, alternating among wistfulness, melancholy and contentment. But, as a title like “Sodom, South Georgia” might imply, they also hit notes of wry humor.