Search - Andrew Bird :: Armchair Apocrypha

Another Masterpiece

Michael Frunzi | New Haven, CT United States | 03/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After his stunning 2005 release "Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs", I was worried that Andrew Bird would not be able to live up to the ridiculously high standards that that album and his incredible live performances had established for him. My fears were completely unjustified, as "Armchair Apocrypha" certainly meets if not exceeds any and all expectations.



While it's not quite as long as his last album (10 vocal and 2 instrumental tracks), each song is different and beautiful in its own way. Bird has stayed true to his style (violins, xylophones and his trademark whistling) but continued to develop his sound, and is the equal of Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, Sufjan or any other Indie Sweetheart band out there today. His lyrics are poetically uplifting one minute and dreadfully macabre the next, but always clever, insightful and unique.



What sets Bird apart is his uncanny knack to be a complete individual while producing music that remains 100% palatable. This is truly a superior record; it is a must-have for any Bird fan and anyone else who loves music slightly off the beaten track."

Another great release from Bird

somethingexcellent | Lincoln, NE United States | 04/16/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Never content to sit still and make the same record over and over again, Andrew Bird is one of those artists that creates delightful music that is enjoyed by everyone from jam-band audiences to NPR-listeners to people who might not normally go for his slightly more mellow brand of indie pop. I fall into those latter two groups, and although I don't consider myself a member of the typical coffee-house crowd, I do appreciate good songs, and Bird has really been honing his craft, culminating in a good album with Weather Systems, a great album in The Mysterious Production Of Eggs, and now another gem in Armchair Apocrypha.



For one thing, Bird is one of only a handful or two of current singer songwriters who I consider to be a truly great lyricist. True, he gets a bit clever for his own good in a few places, but his word craft is simply outstanding in most places, conjuring up thoughtful lines that capture the beauty, frustrations, happiness, and downright absurdity of the world we live in. His music follows suit largely as well, with songs that move on odd time signatures with interesting instrumentation and of course touches of his whimsical whistling.



One thing that's easy to notice about the new album is that guitar is used much more prominently than on his other albums, and usually it's not a bad thing at all. Opener "Fiery Crash" mixes electric piano, swoops of strings, some shuttling drums, and subdued vocals with dark lyrics into a gem of a song that begs for singing along. "Imitosis" follows, and again finds Bird plumbing his psyche lyrically while recycling a melody from both of his previous albums and turning in a song that betters both of them.



The strong opening continues with "Plasticities," and the song is easily one of the better on the entire release, blending plucked strings, some subdued guitar that gurgles over in places and vocals that move from whispered to defiant. It's never rocking in a traditional way, but like the best of his songs, it's insanely hooky, with soft builds that turn into a pretty blowouts and words that lodge in your head. As mentioned above, the more guitar-driven songs (like "Heretic" and "Dark Matter") seem to fall into a bit more traditional structures and don't hold up quite as well, but even then there are still some nice payoffs.



In places, Bird drops to practically neo-classical, and the results are flat-out gorgeous. The minute-long "The Supine" could easily go on for three times as long and still stun, while the album closer "Yawny And The Apocolypse" mixes field recordings and aching strings into something that is heartbreaking. For my money, the best song on the release is the piano/guitar driven "Scythian Empires," where Bird tackles the current war with his usual aplomb lyrically while musically backing it with understated and touching music that serves to highlight the words. As a whole, the album doesn't stand up quite as well as The Mysterious Production Of Eggs, but it's still another solid entry in Bird's discography.



(from almost cool music reviews)"

Keeps getting better

Jason Bunting | Woods Cross, UTAH USA | 03/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I am still quite fond of his earlier work (Thrills, Oh! The Grandeur and The Swimming Hour), I must admit that Bird keeps getting better and better. I don't know that I would characterize this as being "dark" per se (as many of the other reviewers have) but Bird definitely deals with subject matters that are not typical of pop music (thank heavens!).



It is helpful to know that many of these songs have evolved from earlier works, and that often his lyrics are not as significant as people hope them to be. What I mean is that, according to his own account, Bird often puts things together because of a sound inherent in their audible manifestation rather than because of a meaning he wishes to convey. The fun part is trying to figure out which lyrics are there for the latter and which for the former.



Scythian Empires has to be the best piece on this album as far as composition, in my opinion; but the album wouldn't be the same without Dark Matter, Spare-Ohs, and Imitosis (the long-awaited 'official' incarnation of what was once 'Capital I').



Anyway, just do yourself a favor and get this album! Check out "The Official Unofficial Andrew Bird Fansite" for lyrics and other such and similar things.



Also: if you ever get the chance, you will want to see Bird live - it is unlike anything you have ever seen before. That may sound trite, but it is true nonetheless. Unfortunately for some, fortunately for others that have grown accustomed to and even love it, Bird does not feel obligated to play songs the same way twice - ever. One of his older songs, "Why?", must exist in a hundred different manifestations; Bird is always trying new things with established songs, which is risky but often bears amazing fruit."