What made Andrew Bird and Martin Dosh’s 2007 collaboration “Armchair Apocrypha” so impressive and memorable was the pair’s ability to craft a moving, emotionally resonant and outright gorgeous record built around unmoving, emotionally distant and cold, scientific subjects like dark matter and the ancient Scythians. In many ways, the record went against common indie-rock assumptions and traditions, and in other ways embraced the newer, hyper-literate and, pretentiousness hounds awake, intellectual approach to songwriting that’s also been popularized by The Decemberists and The Shins. Emo, this is not. Andrew Bird’s violin playing—and whistling—noticeably sets his music apart from others on a very much present, very well-appreciated surface level. His voice has improved, too. While a significant dumbing-down persists in pop music, indie or otherwise—anyone who still thinks Ben Gibbard or Conor Oberst are some kind of trailblazers needs his head examined—rejoice, friends, the smart people have arrived. Except, of course, music doesn’t really work that way either. While Andrew Bird’s new record, “Noble Beast,” is a bold technical achievement that shows his skill as an inventive pop composer, it’s hardly an emotional experience, and unfortunately seriously lacking when put against its predecessor. The overabundance of finger-picked acoustic guitar grows tired very quickly, and while the violin often provides a classy, pretty gloss, the whistling is no longer a goofy schtick, and in the end, it’s only whistling after all. I was shocked—actually, a bit terrified—that after countless listens over the course of two weeks, I could barely remember not just a specific song from the record, but also a single lyric, instrumental bit or hook. Perhaps that says more about me than it does about Bird’s overlong, sprawling opus, but perhaps not. Of course, while “Armchair Apocrypha” made the world raise its eyebrows, “Noble Beast” has made it open its wallet, and Bird’s gotten the most attention of his career with profiles and pieces in major magazines all across the country and sold-out gigs in high-profile places, including the two this week at the Civic Opera House. (The whistling should be something else, here.) One can poo-poo his new record, but Bird’s always been a colossal presence live and you shouldn’t pass on the opportunity. (Tom Lynch)
April 9-10 at Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker, (312)902-1500, at 8pm. $27.50-$35.
Ten Awkward Dudes: A Preview of Straight No Chaser at Civic Opera House The ten-man a cappella ensemble got its start in the mid-1990s at Indiana University. But unlike more stuffy and serious-minded outfits, the musically expert Straight No Chaser has always been built on a foundation that suffuses its arrangements with both modernity and humor.
Especially For You: A Preview of the Smithereens at the Memorial Opera House Serious music scholars all, the Smithereens distilled their musical loves into something that ultimately sounded like nobody but them. Diken points to Gary Lewis and the Playboys as an influence; it’s worth noting that the studio cats who played on those records—immortal pop tunes like “Count Me In” —included Leon Russell and drummer Hal Blaine.
Soaring with Bird: Jazz Showcase Founder Joe Segal Passes Away “Everybody in the field of jazz,” said Segal, “whether a record producer, deejay or club owner, is really a frustrated musician… If I could play, I’d be up on the stage instead of at the door.”
