There are many sides to Andrew Bird, the musician behind "Noble Beast." He is a classically trained violinist who studied at Northwestern University's prestigious conservatory, a singer with an enchantingly smooth voice, a very good whistler and a normal guy from Chicago who loves music.
Bird's songs are simultaneously catchy and represent a genre that is very much off the beaten path. This comes as no surprise to those familiar with Bird, as he has never been one to cave in to the pressures of the music industry. Indeed, Bird earned his audience the hard way, by playing show after show, sometimes to audiences of only a few people. With each album, Bird has gained a larger following. As he steadily gains popularity, each of Bird's albums has continued to forge its own path, blurring the lines between the genres of folk, blues and indie. His songs are fraught with influences from his classical musical training and his interests in bluegrass and traditional Irish music. Despite the diversity of influences Bird incorporates in his songs, his music never feels cluttered or over-thought.
Bird's wide array of musical techniques complements the large number of influences on his work. He experiments with unusual musical devices and instrumentation, even using whistles as a central feature in some of his music.
"Noble Beast" is no different from past albums, and Bird's style has not changed much; he has simply come into his own as a songwriter and a musician. For example, in the second track, "Masterswarm," Bird shows off his skills as a violinist without losing sight of his talent as a singer. The smooth, slow and simple violin melodies and solos in "Masterswarm" show Bird's roots without sacrificing the overall quality of the song. The same can be said of his whistling, which is part of the reason the song is so catchy. The combination of Bird's many talents helps make "Masterswarm" one of the most interesting songs on the album.
Other songs which demonstrate Bird's versatility include "Anonanimal" and "Souverian." In "Anonanimal," he toys with rhymes and double meanings. The opening line of the song, "I see a sea anemone the enemy/ See a sea anemone and that'll be the end of me" gives the listener a great preview of the rhythmic and melodic tongue-twisters to follow. Also in the track, Bird shows off the upper range of his voice while his violin follows the melody in the background. "Anonanimal," the 10th track on the album, is unique without sacrificing its musical integrity. It is both catchy and impressive, showing off Bird's talent without being too self-indulgent.
The balladic "Souverian" is the penultimate track on "Noble Beast." Despite the fact that it is a slow, calming song, it is by no means dull. The song features a slow build throughout with Bird's violin, voice and the drums leading the way in a long, slow crescendo, ultimately fading out without a climax. The seemingly premature end does not come as a disappointment, however, since the song is effective without the traditional construction of build and resolution.
Bird ends "Noble Beast" with a track clearly influenced by his classical training. "On Ho" is an orchestral piece, and one of the prettiest songs on the album.
This latest effort by Bird marks his rise as a fresh musical talent who will continue to gain accolades and produces exceptional albums. "Noble Beast" is a personal triumph for Bird in combining his classical training and the contemporary genres he loved growing up: bluegrass, blues and folk.
