Snap Judgement- Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast
If good looks was a minute/ You know that you could've been an hour- Smokey Robinson, 'The Way You Do The Things You Do'

Mwwaaahaaahaaaa...who's laughing now, Mr. Tweedy.
Hometown hero Andrew Bird’s new album, Noble Beast, is streaming now at NPR. The album is due out January 20 on Fat Possum. Snap judgement on the new album after one listen- really good. A definite buy album. I have to admit, Mr. Bird snuck up on me. I saw him years ago, and thought he was a bit twee for my taste. Then I saw him again at Lollapalooza and thought again, “Good, but not for playing venues this size.” Then last year I heard he packed the Pritzker Pavilion, Wilco-style. I couldn’t believe it.
Well, now I believe it. The new album has all the the Bird wistfulness which makes the skinny girls blush, plus a new found love of lush production. The album has a true sense of space and scope that a production dork like me can’t help but appreciate. Andrew even almost cuts it up-almost-on a few tracks. Overall, if you’ve missed the real R.E.M. since Bill’s been gone or have been waiting for Beck to release that great country-pop album you know he has in him, you need to hear this. Andrew, you make Chicago proud. Hope to see you soon at the Hideout, brother.
O'Hare Arpt., IL
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