Bird Watching.

I tend to hate albums with squeaky-clean production. I prefer raw and gritty to polished and spotless primarily because I feel the buffing takes away from the "realness," particularly in the day and age of Auto-Tune. Andrew Bird's Noble Beast, however, makes me want to eat my words. The clean edges and pitch-perfect vocals make for an album that flows seamlessly and beautifully. "Oh No," the opening track, sets the tone, with an unbelievable melodic whistle that cuts clearly through the lush instrumentation, all while morphing into an ethereal musical instrument itself. "Fitz and the Dizzy Spells" is an upbeat toe-tapper that falls into the classic Bird style, but the clangy beat of "Not a Robot But a Ghost," the grimiest track on the album, sees Bird reaching out and embracing new sounds. The layered textures of the track make it one of my favorites, along with the haunting and somewhat disturbing "Effigy."

Personally, I find Noble Beast to be a much warmer album than Armchair Apocrypha. The unsettling imagery and perplexing lyrics are still there, but while the instrumentation of Apocrypha resonated with spine-tingling chills, Noble Beast strikes a chord with glowing sincerity and comfort. Bird's latest release is a densely-layered work that takes some time to sink in. It feels somewhat like a fascinating tale told by the warm hearth on a cold, wintry night in the country. I think mid-January was an excellent release date, for I fear the record would not have translated as well had it been released in mid-July. Nevertheless, Noble Beast is a record that is well worth your time and should be enjoyed with dimmed lights, toasty socks and a nice cup of hot chocolate.

I have to say, the man looks so much skinnier in person.