Andrew Bird

[oneafroboy]

A string arrangement does not necessarily mean a string quartet.

But I don't want to make too many criticisms, because, much to my dismay, my Andrew Bird CD is terribly scratched and won't play in my home stereo.    I don't know how this happened, because I take very good care of my CDs. But I do believe I may have lent it out at one point.

So I am prevented from making many more critical comments. Once again. I liked it all right. But it didn't captivate me the way that it seems to have capitvated you Josh.  

[Guest]

Well, that's not a string quartet you're hearing-- it's just Bird and his violin. The fact that he makes his long instrument sound like an entire orchestra is, I think, a testament to his skills as a producer and an arranger.

 

Or he just is just really good at mixing and dubbing!

[-TheWanderer-]

Well, that's not a string quartet you're hearing-- it's just Bird and his violin. The fact that he makes his long instrument sound like an entire orchestra is, I think, a testament to his skills as a producer and an arranger.

 

Or he just is just really good at mixing and dubbing!

that was me

[Josh]

A string arrangement does not necessarily mean a string quartet.

Right. I just meant that, not only is he arranging the strings, but he's playing all of them himself.

Or he just is just really good at mixing and dubbing!

Well, yeah. I think that would still fall under his judgement as a producer, though. At any rate, the point is that he's obviously good at SOMETHING!  =)  

[Brenden]

Question,

Does anyone else get a feeling like A Nervous Tic Motion of The Head to the Left might be referencing "random chance" evolution with the line "You're what happens when two substances collide"?

I'm trying to decipher this song.

[Josh]

Question,

Does anyone else get a feeling like A Nervous Tic Motion of The Head to the Left might be referencing "random chance" evolution with the line "You're what happens when two substances collide"?

I'm trying to decipher this song.

Yes, I do. In a nutshell, I think the theme of that song-- and indeed, one of the primary themes running throughout the idea-- is the inability of science to explain all the mysteries and complexities of life. So yes, I think you're right on the money-- nice job!

(Just don't ask me to help you decipher "Fake Palindromes" or "Skin Is, My"... those two still have me stumped!)

[Brenden]

Question,

Does anyone else get a feeling like A Nervous Tic Motion of The Head to the Left might be referencing "random chance" evolution with the line "You're what happens when two substances collide"?

I'm trying to decipher this song.

Yes, I do. In a nutshell, I think the theme of that song-- and indeed, one of the primary themes running throughout the idea-- is the inability of science to explain all the mysteries and complexities of life. So yes, I think you're right on the money-- nice job!

(Just don't ask me to help you decipher "Fake Palindromes" or "Skin Is, My"... those two still have me stumped!)

I haven't heard those ones yet, I'm just working off a few mp3s, they sound right up my alley though, I love to decipher lyrics.

[Josh]

Woo hoo!

Just got an e-mail from Andrew Bird's manager. Apparently, he's already begun writing for a new album, hopefully due out next year! Woo hoo again!

Incidentally, I'm going to be interviewing him later this fall, so maybe I'll be the first to get the scoop on the new material.

[Brenden]

Woo hoo!

Just got an e-mail from Andrew Bird's manager. Apparently, he's already begun writing for a new album, hopefully due out next year! Woo hoo again!

Incidentally, I'm going to be interviewing him later this fall, so maybe I'll be the first to get the scoop on the new material.

Excellent!

[murlough23]

OK, I think I've finally made up my mind about this one. It's ambitious, it's creative, and it shows a lot of personality. That's a plus. The whimsically weird nature of some of the lyrics is also a plus. But sometimes those lyrics turn a bit too dark, violent, or bitter for my tastes. So that's a minus. And sometimes the arrangements, purported in this thread to be brilliant, are actually kind of boring. So that's another minus. All in all, it's a very intriguing album that unfortunately isn't very consistent. A lot of the time I just feel like it's more of the same rambling over violin plucking and a dull slow tempo. Minimalism is fine when you're still doing something interesting with the empty space.

I will say that I'm totally in love with "Skin Is, My" and "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left". "Opposite Day" and "Sovay" are highlights as well, and I enjoy the interludes.

My overall rating: 3 1/2 stars, or a B-.

[Josh]

Oh, murlough... you're so, so smart, but, in this case, so, so wrong!  

It's ambitious, it's creative, and it shows a lot of personality.

Yes.

But sometimes those lyrics turn a bit too dark, violent, or bitter for my tastes.

Can't think of anywhere on the album where I can see this. Some of the lyrics DO emply some rather grisly imagery, but it's always matched with Bird's humor and whimsy. The only song that strikes me as being "bitter" is "Banking on a Myth."

And sometimes the arrangements, purported in this thread to be brilliant, are actually kind of boring.

I'm sticking with brilliant, myself.

A lot of the time I just feel like it's more of the same rambling over violin plucking and a dull slow tempo. Minimalism is fine when you're still doing something interesting with the empty space.

Again, I'm just not hearing this. The arrangements all sound very distinctive to me, and there aren't really all that many songs with similar tempos. I'm not even sure if I'd call this album minimalist, really.

[murlough23]

OK. Then what's so brilliant about it all? Sorry, but a few of the songs are melodically very boring - or they're doing something interesting and then it just drops out into something boring. The songs have a tendency to change moods in mid-stream, which is something really neat, and sometimes a bit of a buzz-kill.

NP: "A Heavy-Hearted Work of Staggering Genius", Anberlin

[Josh]

Not really sure which songs you're talking about here, so for now all I know to do is repost the link to my review. I think you've read it already, and I don't mean to suggest that it addresses all/any of your criticisms, but, at this point, I think anything I say here is going to be a rehash of what I've already said. I guess we disagree on a very fundamental level, and on some rather abstract points, so I'm having a hard time arriving at a really concrete defense here.

[oneafroboy]

Not to mercilessly beat a dead horse here, since I've already stated my opinion, but I tend to fall on the side of not-brilliant, and thus agree more murlough's assesment of the album. I do find many of the elements tedious and boring. It just does not grip me. And there's nothing substantive that I can find (or anyone else has showed me) which could supercede that response.

 

[murlough23]

OK, I've listened to this a little more, and it's growing on me. I'd say the first half to two-thirds is pretty solid. Some it's just understated and takes getting used to. I still have a hard time with the irreverence in a few songs, and the way some of them have slow, drawn-out intros or outros that kind of distract from the proper song. I think I just get bored with the last few songs somewhere after "Skin Is, My".

Oh well, I'll give it a few more weeks before I attempt a review (assuming I don't get caught up with reviews of more current stuff in the meantime).

NP: "Opposite Day", Andrew Bird

[adriftconscious]

OK, I've listened to this a little more, and it's growing on me. I'd say the first half to two-thirds is pretty solid. Some it's just understated and takes getting used to. I still have a hard time with the irreverence in a few songs, and the way some of them have slow, drawn-out intros or outros that kind of distract from the proper song. I think I just get bored with the last few songs somewhere after "Skin Is, My".

Oh well, I'll give it a few more weeks before I attempt a review (assuming I don't get caught up with reviews of more current stuff in the meantime).

NP: "Opposite Day", Andrew Bird

Yeah, this album's like that. I think I put that thought in the recent buys thread when I got this album. At first I was like... WHAT? for most of the songs, with Skin Is, My really grabbing me. But man... this album makes you dig deep. I found new appreciation for each song every time I played this album again. It is certainly a disc that rewards patience. Keep listened and before too long you'll be addicted.

[Josh]

Mur, just out of curioisty, what "irreverence" are you talking about, specifically?

Incidentally, one of my very favorite cuts on the album comes after "Skin Is, My"-- "Tables and Chairs." In fact, depending on what day you ask me, that might be my VERY favorite.  

[murlough23]

Mur, just out of curioisty, what "irreverence" are you talking about, specifically?

Stuff like "Jesus, you should've died" in "Fake Palindromes", and the use of "Christ" as an expletive in "Masterfade". Some songs also have violent themes - drilling holes into your head, wanting to find out if you bleed, etc.

Incidentally, one of my very favorite cuts on the album comes after "Skin Is, My"-- "Tables and Chairs." In fact, depending on what day you ask me, that might be my VERY favorite.

That one's alright. The lyrics are amusing. It takes too long to do its thing, though.

One thing I figured out that bugs me on several songs is the way Bird sings. He's ahead of or behind the beat a lot, singing in more of a "loose" fashion, and his verse melodies seem to do this same sort of wandering about again and again. It's hard to explain it in words. But it makes me feel like a lot of the clever lines fall flat because of how they're delivered.

[Josh]

Stuff like "Jesus, you should've died" in "Fake Palindromes",

To clarify-- and you probably know this already, but just to make sure-- he's not telling JESUS that he should've died, he's telling SOMEONE else that he should have died. Jesus' name here is used either as an explative or a cry for help, depending on how you look at it. (I think there are many cases where, when facing an intense crisis or tragedy, the name of Jesus is really the only thing you can say that would make any sense; the context here is ambiguous, though, so it might just be a curse, which would indeed bother me.)

and the use of "Christ" as an expletive in "Masterfade".

At first I would have agreed, but, the more I listen, the more I feel like he's using Christ's name differently. Kinda like Arcade Fire's "Power Out"-- at first it sounds like a swear, but you could just as easily argue that he's actually referring to the person of Christ, which would probably make more sense in the song's context. He refers to an inverted compass, somewhere in the heavens, and then gives the name of Christ-- perhaps identifying that heavenly compass-- our guide and our direction-- with "Christ, who knows" all things.

It's a play on words, to be sure, and your interpretation may be correct. But I'm beginning to lead toward the other.

Some songs also have violent themes - drilling holes into your head, wanting to find out if you bleed, etc.

But the violence is used only as poetic imagery, not as actual endorsements for violent behavior, like in certain rap songs. The former line you mention is from a song that's basically all about nonsensical wordplay ("Fake Palindromes"), while the latter is a song about placing someone on a pedestal and then finding out that they actually can make mistakes or be harmed (bleed).

That one's alright. The lyrics are amusing. It takes too long to do its thing, though.

Part of what I love about this album is the way that the songs jump and explode all over the place, morphing into other things completely and never going where you think they will. Some may find it off-putting; personally, I find the transformation to be spellbinding.

And c'mon, it's gotta be the best song about the end of the world EVER. My favorite moment on the whole album is Bird's gleeful cry of "There will be snacks!"

One thing I figured out that bugs me on several songs is the way Bird sings. He's ahead of or behind the beat a lot, singing in more of a "loose" fashion, and his verse melodies seem to do this same sort of wandering about again and again. It's hard to explain it in words. But it makes me feel like a lot of the clever lines fall flat because of how they're delivered.

I LOVE his cadence and his timing, actually. I think his serious, straight-faced delivery is what makes it so funny.

 

[murlough23]

You're contradicting yourself, Josh. Is it a swear or is it not a swear?

Anyway, I can see what you like about each of those songs, so I understand why you think so highly of the album. Something about it, while I still consider it to be very creative and above average in execution, just seems to settle for cute when it could be gorgeous, if that makes any sense.

[bloop]

You're contradicting yourself, Josh. Is it a swear or is it not a swear?

Wait.  Didn't he come clean and say that he wasn't sure whether it was or not?

Anyway, I can see what you like about each of those songs, so I understand why you think so highly of the album. Something about it, while I still consider it to be very creative and above average in execution, just seems to settle for cute when it could be gorgeous, if that makes any sense.

To me, no it doesn't really, but it might make some sense to Josh as I think he's latched on to the whimsical nature of the album just a tad more than I have.

[murlough23]

Wait.  Didn't he come clean and say that he wasn't sure whether it was or not?

Right, but that doesn't do much to refute the way that I read those songs.

[bloop]

*shrugs* I never said it did, and I don't even think that's what Josh was attempting in that instance.

I kind of see expecting Christian behavior out of people who may not be Christians to be a bit silly anyway, and I'm not going to demote the quality of their work because their values don't line up well with a Christian worldview, so I can't really see any great point to this part of the conversation anyway.  There are only certain things I'm interested in when discussing music artists and this isn't one of them.  I'll acknowledge that it may not be a very good Christian thing to say (then again, there's the possibility that they're merely playing a part), but to go further than that smacks of the kind of shallow Plugged-In sorts of analyses I'd rather avoid.

[murlough23]

*shrugs* I never said it did, and I don't even think that's what Josh was attempting in that instance.

OK, but I just didn't get the point of responding to my statement that "It means A here and B there" with "It means B here and A there", because if that's the case, my point still stands.

I kind of see expecting Christian behavior out of people who may not be Christians to be a bit silly anyway, and I'm not going to demote the quality of their work because their values don't line up well with a Christian worldview, so I can't really see any great point to this part of the conversation anyway.

I don't expect that, either. There are just certain things that I prefer not to hear on a record. One of them is Christ's name being taken in vain. It doesn't mean I'm going to invite over all of my Christian Coalition buddies and use the CD as firewood. It just lessens the enjoyment for me wherever it's used. He has his beliefs and his right to express them. I have the right to say that I enjoy a song which mocks or belittles my beliefs less than a song which either affirms them or is mute on the subject.

There are only certain things I'm interested in when discussing music artists and this isn't one of them.

Then why did you reply?

I'll acknowledge that it may not be a very good Christian thing to say (then again, there's the possibility that they're merely playing a part), but to go further than that smacks of the kind of shallow Plugged-In sorts of analyses I'd rather avoid.

Plugged-In's take is usually "This is bad because this one thing was said that goes against our beliefs, and therefore nobody should be listening to it". All I'm saying is that it rubs me the wrong way in a few instances. I still listen, and I still enjoy quite a bit of this record. I'm merely pointing out a few reasons why I'm not giving it a 5-star, A-plus, OHMIGOSHTHISISTHEMOSTAMAZINGTHINGEVAR rating.

Anyway, I'll retract my complaint about the "Jesus, you should've died" comment, because actually, yes, Jesus was supposed to die. Probably not what Bird meant, but, whatever.

[bloop]

Then why did you reply?

Whoever said I only do things that interest me?

I don't need any artist to either affirm or belittle my beliefs, but I have my own ways of dealing with these things anyway.  To me, if someone is ticked-off at God, I want to question why (which almost always leads me to question sincerity before appropriateness actually) rather than knock their art down a couple pegs over it.  After that, I might knock them a bit for not writing in a thoughtful manner, but often there's still a question even after I've analyzed as much as I can.  In that case, I prefer to just leave it a question.

[murlough23]

Whoever said I only do things that interest me?

Does this emoticon mean anything to you?

 :brickwall:  

[Brenden]

Ressurecting this thread to mention my initial thoughts about the album, after finally hearing the whole thing.

I'm loving most of the album, though The Happy Birthday Song kind of bores me. Opposite Day isn't doing much for me either, but it's growing on me.

Top 5 right now would be

1. Tables and Chairs
2. Skin Is, My
3. Sovay
4. Measuring Cups
5. MX Missiles

[murlough23]

My favorites:

1) Skin Is, My
2) A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
3) Sovay
4) Opposite Day
5) Fake Palindromes

I should also reiterate that Bird is amazing in concert. This album doesn't do his talent justice.

NP: "Red Sky", Thrice

[Josh]

My Top 5 changes from day to day, but right now I'll say:

1. Tables and Chairs
2. Measuring Cups
3. Skin Is, My
4. Masterfade
5. Banking on a Myth

[Tom]

my current top 5:

1. Sovay
2. A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left
3. Fake Palindromes
4. Measuring Cups
5. Tables And Chairs

"whoa, there will be snacks there will"

[Josh]

"whoa, there will be snacks there will"

I think that's one of my favorite moments in all of music. It's such a great line for a song about the end of the world, and Bird's deadpan delivery is the stuff of comic genius. As a friend of mine put it, "Dude, who doesn't like snacks?"

[murlough23]

I think that's one of my favorite moments in all of music. It's such a great line for a song about the end of the world, and Bird's deadpan delivery is the stuff of comic genius. As a friend of mine put it, "Dude, who doesn't like snacks?"

It's a great line, but I don't think that's sufficient to make the song great. The lyrics are fun; the music doesn't interest me much.

NP: "Free", Steven Curtis Chapman

[Josh]

It's a great line, but I don't think that's sufficient to make the song great. The lyrics are fun; the music doesn't interest me much.

NP: "Free", Steven Curtis Chapman

I think it's lovely. The build-up is fantastic. The pacing is rather leisurely, but there's enough variation in the dynamics to keep me enthralled.

[Tom]

It's a great line, but I don't think that's sufficient to make the song great. The lyrics are fun; the music doesn't interest me much.

 

my wife would agree with you Murlough. however, i would respectfully disagree with both of you and agree with Josh that the song itself is great, and not just the lyrics.

[murlough23]

It's a decent song when it gets going. I don't mean to say that it's a bad song. The melody and rhythm just seem rather ordinary to me, so that only leaves the lyrics, which are amusing, but Bird's sleepy delivery kind of causes those to wander, too (which is my problem with many of his slower songs). It's too sparse. In concert, it fared better and was a sensible closer.

[Josh]

Great news for Andrew Bird-watchers! According to his Web site, he's recording a new album this year, re-issuing a pair of rare older albums, and going on tour! Pitchfork has the story.

[murlough23]

02-06 Louisville, KY - Louisville Free Public Library *
02-07 Lexington, KY - The Dame *
02-09 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club *

I smell a road trip for Josh.

[murlough23]

I keep coming back to this thread as I listen to the album more. I've determined that there aren't any songs on this album that bore me. There are just a lot of sections here and there that either bore me, or otherwise irritate me due to their lyrics or due to how they suddenly shift gears from something that I was enjoying (the end of "Banking on a Myth", for example). I can find something I love about pretty much every song... but it's hard to love the full song in most cases.

I see this more as my personal bias. I tend to prefer full arrangements to sparse ones, especially when the artist has such diverse instrumental talent, and when I'm enjoying a particular groove/rhythm/melody, I don't like to be so suddenly yanked out of it unless it's the end of the actual song. (This bugs me sometimes with the prog-rock bands that I like... even Iona, on occasion.) I can't fault Bird for my personal preferences, but at the same time, if I'm more amused by his album than full-on excited, I have to be honest about that.

This should make for an interesting review, if I ever get around to writing one.

NP: "Tables and Chairs", Andrew Bird

[Josh]

Great news from Pitchfork... Bird is back!

What we're curious about is how Bird, who's in the midst of knocking out a new record, is setting aside the entire summer for this jaunt, especially when the yet-to-be-titled follow-up to last year's The Mysterious Production of Eggs is slated for an early 2007 release. Looks like Andy B. has some stellar time management skills... or he's practicing his fresh tracks on tour. According to Billboard.com, who spoke with the Chicago musician, Bird has delivered new songs "Dark Matter", "Plasticities", and "Sycophants" to live audiences, and will likely continue to do so throughout his summer adventures. Also on the album is the tentatively-titled "The Armchair Apocalypse", which serves as the record's centerpiece. That name should be set in stone, in Pitchfork's humble opinion.

Of the record's style, Bird commented to Billboard, "I'm writing stuff that's big and spacious, with long, stretched out phrases, a sense of large, open air. But it's also really concise. I'm trying to keep it to 10 songs, but short is pretty hard to pull off when you're trying to create space. I did a recording session in the barn where I opened all the windows and miked everything, just recording three hours of ambient noise. Now I just have to find a way to work it in."

Haley Bonar and Chris Morrissey, who worked backup on The Mysterious Production of Eggs tour, and of course, Dosh, are contributing to the effort, which is being recorded at Bird's barn in rural Illinois, Electrical Audio in Chicago, and various studios in Minneapolis. Producer Ben Durrant has been working closely alongside Bird as well.

Also on the agenda are a live album (featuring both Bird and Dosh), set for self-release in the fall, and a September tour.

[Rough Draft]

Has anyone listened to Weather Systems? I found it in a sale bin last summer. I don't have The Mysterious Production of Eggs, but I love this CD. The songs are big and spacious, with arresting pizzicato plucking and densely layered violin arrangements, especially on the title song. I'll get about pubbing that once I figure out how. Also, his rendition of "Don't Be Scared' is one of the most moving songs I've ever heard. It's a short 9-song cycle with two filler tracks used for framing the climax of the album. There's also a short movie included that spotlights a supposed documentary-in-progress about Andrew Bird; but, it being three years since Weather Systems, I'm not sure if it's still a project. Anyway, just wanted to hear people's thoughts.