REVIEW: Andrew Bird, "Noble Beast"

Rising out of the dark, electric shadows of his 2007 album, Armchair Apocrypha, Andrew Bird greets the dawn of 2009 with Noble Beast, a set of carefully crafted and (mostly) acoustic songs which sound gorgeously lazy thanks to their heavy country-folk leanings. Much like it's cover photo of a country field at either the first rays of dawn or the last dying glow before dusk, Noble Beast is a calm, peaceful, laid back affair-so much so, in fact, that it may come across during a first listen as being a little soft in the teeth, but that is far from the truth. It's teeth are sharp, they just take their time sinking into you. Bird's wit and lyrical prowess are in top notch, as expected, while his violin, acoustic guitar, and whistle get plenty of action on this daydream-paced record.

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