Album Review: Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
Chicago native Andrew Bird’s newest work “Break it Yourself” stays true to the clever wit and unique quirk that fans have come to expect from his music.
As a master of combining virtuoso violin playing and a signature whistling style that doesn’t seem like it in its own right (among other luscious flourishes), Bird manages to always effortlessly maintain a pop sensibility that justifies repeating play without become too boring. This time it is no different.
In “Desperation Breeds,” the album opener, Bird delicately reflects on the world’s shortage of bees before slowly breaking into a high-pitched violin screech that plunges into a mad frenzy of his signature fingering skills. Almost literally, it seems to channel the frustration and confusion of the bees themselves.
“Eyeoneye,” a song that manages to correlate the distress and complications of a tumor called a teratoma is as catchy as anything I’ve done in the past, if not more. The driving force of the melody makes vulnerability seem like a fun experience that no one should miss. This is especially clear towards the end when he sings / sings “Go ahead and defibrillate” before the rumbling drums reach a crescendo … and then fade away with, of course, a slight hiss; as if we were running an unconditional marathon as if it were nothing. Here there is no tiredness, but joy.
The theme of heartbreak continues in “Near Death Experience Experience,” where the happiness of surviving a plane crash is dancing “… as cancer survivors … just grateful to be alive.” But don’t let the dark theme fool you. The song’s carefree tone is so happy it’s like jumping down a sidewalk under a row of apple trees. Only when apples hit your head do you realize the power conveyed by the letter of triumph over pain.
Who knew that the theme of conquering fear and doubt could be so purely beautiful? Let’s take “Fatal Shore,” where a gentle Mr. Bird ponders the subject as quietly as ever, but no less emotionally powerful than some of his best songs. The drums thump softly along with the guitar and bass as a soft thump to the aching back as Bird and vocalist Nora O’Connor harmonize beautifully as they repeat lyrics like “There’s never a doubt like us that we breathe in and out.”
A welcome return from 2009’s “Noble Beast,” we get a record that’s not as immediately accessible or endlessly fun, but still as strong as most of their best work. The details become more apparent with each listen, and that’s when you realize: “Break it Yourself” is not just an album about a breakup. In reality, it is a complete and throbbing entity, not unlike a heart with its own love to give.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to break this kind of heart by myself. That’s where you, the listener, come into the picture … to feel the joy of heartbreak. An oxymoron that only makes sense in the world of Andrew Bird.