Andrew Bird's newest record, My Finest Work Yet, lives up to its title. As a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and gifted whistler, Bird pushes his artistic boundaries musically and visually. The album art portrays Bird recreating the famous "The Death of Marat" painting by Jacques-Louis David. Blending themes of politics and modern science into his fashion of storytelling, My Finest Work Yet is a true tour de force.
The opening track, "Sisyphus," is heavily embellished with Bird's trademark whistling; the energizing, upbeat song with elements of folk and jazz makes for a strong start. "Bloodless" and "Archipelago" both have a blues feel to them; with rattling tambourine layered with the violin and piano, there is a sense of sophistication here.
On delicate folk-rock tune "Manifest," Bird describes "tracing our evolution from single celled organisms to modern man." Amongst hypnotic strings and ethereal symphonic sounds, Bird gently sings "I'm starting to question my manifest destiny, my claim to this frontier / I'm coming to the brink of a great disaster." Poetically capturing fearing the unknown, Bird masters the art of easing everyday worries though his artistry.
(Loma Vista)The opening track, "Sisyphus," is heavily embellished with Bird's trademark whistling; the energizing, upbeat song with elements of folk and jazz makes for a strong start. "Bloodless" and "Archipelago" both have a blues feel to them; with rattling tambourine layered with the violin and piano, there is a sense of sophistication here.
On delicate folk-rock tune "Manifest," Bird describes "tracing our evolution from single celled organisms to modern man." Amongst hypnotic strings and ethereal symphonic sounds, Bird gently sings "I'm starting to question my manifest destiny, my claim to this frontier / I'm coming to the brink of a great disaster." Poetically capturing fearing the unknown, Bird masters the art of easing everyday worries though his artistry.