ANDREW BIRD – BREAK IT YOURSELF
Classically trained violinist Andrew Bird releases his sixth solo album of quizzical songs that delve into his own questions about real life experiences. Sonically, the album is a mixture of indie and a cinematic soundtrack conjuring up imagery of dark attics, scary woods and tree branch silhouettes that resemble skeleton arms scraping against window panes; yet retaining pop and country elements amongst the creepy and atmospheric to maintain an upbeat feel. Multi-instrumentalist Bird’s own violin playing is assisted by atmospheric guitar effects and ethereal vocal effects to provide the ambiance, while his honest vocal delivery conveys the themes in his music almost as though he were asking himself one of life’s questions out loud. The eccentricities in Bird’s mind come to the fore in his lyricism and often the result is borderline morbid such as when he addresses the idea of happiness on Near Death Experience Experience: “we should dance like cancer survivors/that were grateful simply to be alive”. Danse Caribe is melancholy Dylan-esque early before it lifts to become a muted calypso jam. Eyeoneye gets the indie-pop treatment with reverb drenched guitars and jangly rhythms as he proclaims that “no one can break your heart/so you break it yourself”. Andrew Bird is an inquisitive character and Break It Yourself is a wonderful vehicle to continue that inner search.
***1/2
