A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left

#4: Andrew Bird - Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs. I'd never heard of Mr. Bird before I'd had a chance to hear this album. This would be somewhat understandable if this were his debut album--but it's his fifth.

Primarily a violinist by trade, it's not surprising that his album has a bit of a relaxed, chamber pop/jazz feel, even though the violin isn't always front and center in the mix. Mr. Bird also plays just about every instrument on the album, which helps it achieve a pretty consistent sound. He also manages a rather eerie whistle, which, when I heard it on the unnamed opening track, I thought was a singing saw. Really.

What I also enjoy about this album beyond the sound is the wordplay. Bird doesn't have a particularly large range (or at least he doesn't make use of it) and emotiveness is generally at a premium. But I do enjoy his lyrics, even though they're somewhat relegated to the Beck school of quasi-nonsense. How can you not like a guy who rhymes "Valkyries," "proclivities," "trustees" and "B-17s?"