Armchair Apocrypha - Andrew Bird (2007)

Andrew Bird shot into my life like lightning. I saw him on late night tv about the same time someone at work was listening to the new album, while someone else was talking about the previous one. Once I started paying the slightest attention, i was sold.

Bird’s music is fun and upbeat while also being complex and subtle. He is a great singer, a great violinist, and (oddly) a great whistler. He uses all three to great effect. Clever lyrics and incredibly well crafted compositions make for a great combination.

There’s a strong sense of musical history running through Bird’s music. He has a deep knowledge of folk and jazz, but early in his career (before this album) he stopped being a revivalist or archivist, and started incorporating it into his own sound.

The results are fantastic, and while he’s made multiple great albums since this one, this is still the one I listen to most.

Tracks I liked:

Imitosis - a nasty little lyric and a fantastic latin twist to the rhythm

Heretics - starts out sounding like standard mid-aughts indie rock, but shifts into its own gear

Darkmatter - deep philosophy or shower thoughts, not sure which, but it rocks.