Category:
Rock / Folk

Try if you like:
M. Ward, St. Vincent, Sufjan Stevens, Tom Waits, Wilco

The discrete opening notes from lead-off single 'Desperation Breeds' recalls the sombre atmosphere of Bird’s earlier works, like 'Scythian Empires', but whereas Armchair Apocrypha featured sweeping strings, Break It Yourself feels more restrained. The duet with St. Vincent’s Annie Clark on 'Give It Away' echoes a forlorn country ballad, while 'Lazy Projector' is positively lethargic, a slow snare drum marking the inertia as Bird sings “I can’t see the sense of us breaking up”. The album carries an emotional vulnerability not usually found on Andrew Bird albums and marks his growth as a songwriter.

Nautical themes are sprinkled throughout Break It Yourself, and on 'Sifters' Bird sings that “One plays the ocean like a violin”. It’s a bit of a boast regarding the instrument that he has been studying since the age of four, but the calming qualities of the album are such that Andrew Bird could never really be accused of showboating. Anne Clark returns for 'Lusitania', a song whose haunting melancholy is full of quiet beauty.

Still, the noisy, jangly guitar melody of 'Eyeoneye', accompanied by a whimsically whistled refrain, suggests that Bird is still interested in cutting loose every now and then. There’s a little dub post-production experimentation on 'Near Death Experience Experience' and 'Orpho Looks Back' is something of a toe-tapping barnstormer.