Andrew Bird: Noble Beast

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Eric R. Danton wrote in his Hartford Courant blog Sound Check: "Making music must be something akin to paradise for Andrew Bird, who has displayed increasingly effortless mastery of the form on each of the albums he has released since 'Weather Systems' in 2003. His latest is no exception. 'Noble Beast' (Fat Possum) is lighter and more varied than its excellent predecessor, 2007's 'Armchair Apocrypha,' and just as thoughtfully charming. More so, actually, given the jauntier feel of the new album. Last time, Bird was focused in part on the disorienting exhaustion of life on the road. His tour schedule hasn't let up in the interim, but he sounds energized here on tunes that make full use of his various musical skills. … Bird is a classically trained violinist, and his range shows it: He plays with stately elegance on the dreamy opening track, 'Oh No,' takes a playful turn on 'Fitz and the Dizzyspells' and finds an earthier, pastoral tone in his solo on 'Effigy.' Whatever the sound, his songs are unfailingly catchy, and his smart lyrics and lovely melodies make them stand out even when they're understated" (1/19/09).