Okay, maybe that level of excitement isn’t exactly appropriate for an Andrew Bird release. And to say he is back is also probably an overstatement, as many of you are still stuck on the Soldier On EP. But, I am nevertheless jumping in my chair (picture the dude named Frank on the authors list grabbing the sides of a rolling office chair and pushing up with his feet to get a few inches off the ground).

The album comes out on Jan. 20th and is exactly what you’d expect, a further evolving sound from the Bird man.  For those of you who have been with Andrew from his Mysterious Production of Eggs days you will remember a very experimental sound full of violin string plucking, whisteling, and haunting ambient background sounds.  His follow up, Armchair Apocrypha cleaned up the production a bit and the songs in general were just better.  That album gave me one of my favorite songs of all time, Heretics.

Noble Beast fulfills the prophesy of another advancement in the production quality, song structure, and increasing “goodness” of the songs.  And I find it rare that when an artist polishes their sound in subsequent releases that you’re not holding on to their first release as the best album ever.  But Andrew Bird has done a great job of increasing his sound, hopefully increasing his audience, without giving up anything you’d expect from him after hearing his past albums.

Hopefully everyone out there will also get a chance to see Andrew Bird live as he does a hell of a show.  Keep in mind his band basically consists of two people, who between the two of them play every instrument you can think of.  So get ready for some crazy loop pedal action as an almost empty stage comes alive with the sound of a complete orchestra.

I’m gonna throw up his single and then my favorite track on the album, Anonanimal, which give it to the 2:17 part when he switches from finger picking to 70s disco violins, a catchy beat with hand claps, and some sped up singing.  Hey Andrew, more hand claps dude, that shit rocks!

P.S. The Sheriff came to town on this one.  Hey WS, read the comments you slut!

Andrew Bird – Oh No

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Andrew Bird – Anonanimal

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