Andrew Bird's latest is full of ear-enticing songs.
Andrew Bird’s latest release, Noble Beast, meanders among relaxing dreamscapes where violin, whistling, guitar, glockenspiel, and mandolin (all of which he is well-versed in) are heard at length, accentuated by spurts of group clapping. His folksy style recalls Peter Bjorn and John—if they met Peter, Paul, and Mary, and the six of them had dinner with the Kings of Convenience. Bird’s voice is sweet, at times comparable with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, and utilizes an occasional falsetto not unlike Coldplay’s Chris Martin. This album is chock-full of ear-enticing songs, including my favorite, “Not a Robot, But a Ghost,” which is awash with a spread of instruments, each subtly telling its part. On the whole, Noble Beast is best saved for a day spent unwinding at home.