| Bird, Andrew / Are You Serious |
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| Album: | Are You Serious | Collection: | General | |
| Artist: | Bird, Andrew | Added: | Apr 2016 | |
| Label: | Loma Vista | |||
| A-File Activity |
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| Add Date: | 2016-04-18 | Pull Date: | 2016-06-19 |
| Week Ending: | Jun 19 | Jun 12 | Jun 5 | May 29 | May 22 | May 15 | May 8 | May 1 |
| Airplays: | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Jul 09, 2021: | KZSU Time Traveler Puma | 4. | Mar 30, 2018: | KZSU Time Traveler Capsized | |
| 2. | Mar 16, 2020: | Soul, Samples & Substitutions Capsized | 5. | Jan 19, 2018: | KZSU Time Traveler Puma | |
| 3. | Oct 14, 2018: | Bass Pro Shop Capsized | 6. | Oct 03, 2017: | That's Not Bluegrass. The New Saint Jude |
| Album Review |
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| Francis D Reviewed 2016-04-14 | ||
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“Are You Serious” Andrew Bird Andrew Bird may be an acquired taste. A remarkably gifted singer-songwriter, his preferred instrument is the violin/fiddle — which he bows, plucks and strums. He’s also a world-class whistler and highly proficient at looping to create fully orchestrated arrangements by himself. His exceptional musicianship has at times made him seem aloof and serious. In his first full-length album in almost four years, he tackles those labels head-on. It helps that during this period of time, he has married and had a son. This change in perspective has resulted in one of Bird’s most creative, but also quite grounded works in some time. It’s all excellent folk-rock (with some other flavors mixed in) — but of course with Bird’s unique musical touches. — Francis Recommended: 2, 4, 7, 3, 6, 9, 1. No FCCs detected. 1. (3:41) Capsized — Infectious, R&B-influenced groove. Sounds remarkably like “Use Me,” a Bill Withers song from 1972. Precise drumming and synth trimmings. *** 2. (4:03) Roma Fade — Opens with whistling and plucking. Then, becomes a bright, up-tempo pop-rock song with a string-laden melody. Tells the story of when Bird met his wife. **** 3. (5:29) Truth Lies Low — Wistful, slightly jazzy composition with a two-minute instrumental trail-out that enables Bird to show off his extraordinary musical gifts. *** 4. (3:31) Puma — A quirky and personal song remembering a time when his wife was dealing with a health issue (which turned out okay). His wife said something about hoping that doctors wouldn’t discover she’s a girl, and not a puma. Lots of intricate guitar parts, mandolin, and plucked strings. **** 5. (3:23) Chemical Switches — Introspective and sweet. Fingerpicked guitar. Whistling. Strings in the background. 6. (3:15) Left Handed Kisses — Raw duet with Fiona Apple. Old-fashioned love song. Strummed guitar. Tubular bells. Classical-sounding lead break. *** 7. (3:39) Are You Serious — Tongue-in-cheek, self-critical lyrics. Pokes fun at his “too serious” persona. Plucked and bowed violin. Guitars. Synths. *** 8. (3:49) Saints Preservus — Fascinating, classical harmonized whistling intro. Sometimes jazzy or free-form, sometimes Americana-leaning. Nice violin lead break. 9. (4:11) The New Saint Jude — Bouncy and fun tune. Lots of plucking on high notes. Tempo shift in middle. A nod to Paul Simon, both musically and lyrically. “Ever since I gave up hope/I’m feeling so much better.” *** 10. (5:34) Valleys of the Young — Electric guitar- and banjo-driven folk-rock in sections. Builds to big sound several times. Mentions Bird and his wife having a son. 11. (2:05) Bellevue — Short, uplifting closer with minimal lyrics and multiple layers of plucked and bowed violins — backed by strings. | ||
| Track Listing |
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| 1. | Capsized | 6. | Left Handed Kisses | |||
| 2. | Roma Fade | 7. | Are You Serious | |||
| 3. | Truth Lies Low | 8. | Saints Preservus | |||
| 4. | Puma | 9. | The New Saint Jude | |||
| 5. | Chemical Switches | 10. | Valleys Of The Young | |||
| 11. | Bellevue | |||||