We’ve lost count a bit, but the American Andrew Bird has now filled about seventeen full studio albums with his captivating mix of violin, vocals and artificial flutes. It now appeared Inside Problems is one of the better ones, perhaps because he recorded everything quite directly with his quartet and the emphasis is precisely on the beauty of his songs sung with a gentle, melancholy voice.
That beauty consists of the integration of his artificial flutes and special way of playing the violin. No one can blow a tune as beautifully as in introduction or as in eight shake things up with a villainous blowout on the violin strings.
A highlight on this album is The Night Before Your Birthday, which sounds like an ode to The Velvet Underground (note the violin again). But it could also just be a tribute to their biggest fan Jonathan Richman, and it’s just as deserved.
Andrew Bird
Inside Problems
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Loma Vista/Universal
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