Break It Yourself

Andrew Bird

It’s been a while since I’ve positively reviewed an album. Sorry to have been such a downer lately, but nothing I had chosen to review really impressed me. When I decided to review Andrew Bird’s new album this week, I was eagerly hoping things would turn around because I really enjoy listening to Bird’s music. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.

Break It Yourself is a typical Andrew Bird album. You get exactly what you’d expect from the singer/songwriter”: playful laidback melodies, philosophical lyrics, and whistling (it wouldn’t be an Andrew Bird album without the latter). And that’s very much a good thing. This is Bird’s sixth solo album, so why mess with what’s working. He’s not at the point in his career where he needs to switch up his formula that’s worked since the mid-90s. Though I was pleasantly surprised to see that on Break It Yourself Bird returned instrumental focus back to the violin, whereas on 2007’s Armchair Apocrypha and 2009’s chart topper Noble Beast he switched to guitar as his primary instrument. He shows just how sharp a violinist he is on one of the album’s standout tracks “Orpheo Looks Back”, which features a thrilling and remarkable violin solo midway through.

Break It Yourself is a strong album throughout from “Desperation Breeds…” all the way through the extremely lengthy “Hole in the Ocean Floor”, which oddly never feels like it’s meandering too much considering it clocks in at over eight minutes. The album’s closer “Belles” feels like as proper an ending to any Andrew Bird album with its lush and soothing xylophone chimes and crickets chirping in the background. Songs like “Give It Away”, “Sifters”, and “Fatal Shore” (not a Chili Peppers cover, though that would be just as intriguing) display Bird’s signature lyrics that are so much deeper after multiple listens, whether he’s musing about society and our reliance on currency or love and how it changes as we get older.

This album truly shines though when it really tries to grab the listener. “Danse Caribe” could easily have been a garbled mess, but Bird somehow manages to blend his signature folk sound with a little bit of Celtic and still deliver a track that makes me want to dance. “Eyeoneye” is the album’s catchiest track by far and delivers the biggest the hook, easily winning me over. It features the perfect blend of guitar, whistling (what else?), and introspective lyrics.

Overall, I’m very pleased to say that Break It Yourself is another solid album from Andrew Bird. It’s not revolutionary or game changing, and it doesn’t need to be. It’s the perfect album to usher in the spring season and can be enjoyed in various atmospheres, whether you’re relaxing on a lazy Sunday, trying to provide some good mood music on a date, or taking a long drive through the desert.

Recommended Tracks: “Danse Caribe”, “Eyeoneye”, “Orpheo Looks Back”