Sound: Warm, elegantly orchestrated folky pop (with a wide arsenal of violin sounds and otherworldly, almost-alien whistling) that occasionally works in some electric guitars and picks up the tempo enough to be considered rock. The more upbeat and snappy moments occur less frequently on here than they have on his last several albums.
Heavy Rotation track: “Effigy”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Oh No”; “Fitz and the Dizzyspells”; “Tenuousness”
Recommended: All of Andrew Bird’s recent albums are beautiful creations that push the limits of pop music convention – between the sounds created and the highly literate vocabulary he shows off in the lyrics. And most can get a little sleepy and too cerebral at times, but the captivating moments have far outweighed the lulls. Noble Beast has a few more snooze-inducing sections than you’d want, though, and it really lacks the standout tracks we’ve come to expect from him. Andrew Bird’s latest is still a pleasurable listen, but certainly not his most memorable.
Grade: B

Buy Music/Listen to Tracks