Description
Bird’s last pop record, 2016’s Are You Serious, was an outstanding example of what this often-boundary pushing musician can achieve in a pop context. My Finest Work Yet feels like something of a continuation of that, but the spirit of this record is just more alluring. It shows the versatility of Bird’s voice and his writing. It’s both his most focused nod to classic pop songwriting, while also coming across as one of his most darkly funny records in a long time. Its music is more like Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’: consumed with human history and equally ready to poke fun at it.
This album has all the earmarks of an Andrew Bird album. It has plenty of whistling, soaring melodies, both bowed and pizzicato violin. It has words like weather, recalcitrant, abomination, taciturn, disaster, tendril. The tracks feel even more present, more in the moment, while never sacrificing any musicianship. Paul Butler’s production makes a gorgeous chorus out of the potential cacophony of a roomful of instruments and voices. The arrangements are as precise as ever, the track order gradually revealing a narrative that includes wrongdoings, incitement, and action. This is an album that is likely to stay relevant and satisfying for a long time to come.
