Andrew Bird

A read through of Noble Beast's lyric sheet isn't only intimidating, it's damn near impenetrable. A listen to the music, though, and there's no hint of the bookish opacity that the lyrics would suggest. Instead, Bird is remarkably adept at creating wistful soundscapes with breezy melodies to match. Handclaps, violin and Bird's trademark whistling all make Noble Beast feel rather warm and inviting. It's easy enough to pick out individual elements that make up the whole of Noble Beast: the elements of Spanish influence ("Effigy," "Masterswarm"), the joyous indie-rock ("Fitz & Dizzyspells") and the melancholy folk-pop ("Nomenclature"). When everything appears at once, though, and when all the different pieces seems to endlessly compliment each other, it's much more difficult to place the album as a whole. Noble Beast is as unique an album as I've heard, but it's never frustrating. Andrew Bird is like that perfect type of friend who's a little bit smarter than you but doesn't flaunt it, nor does he dumb himself down to fit in. His wit is effortless, and it makes listening effortless as well.