Mr. Aves

Andrew Wegman Bird was born on July 11, 1973 in Chicago, Illinois and was trained in the Suzuki method from the age of four. From my deep and extensive research on his Wikipedia page I can't say for certain whether or not he was a giant d-bag from birth. What I can say, however, is that a friend of mine who's met the man says he's just that. A mutton head. A rotten apple. A sour grape. A double-the-meat shit sandwich with a side of onions.

Yum.

I realize my assessment of his character is based solely on hearsay evidence, but I'm willing to go out on a limb and trust my friends over the pink and fuzzy vision I have of a man whom I've never met. And heck, if travelling to 1776 to meet Mozart has taught me anything it's that extremely talented musicians are typically not the best folk to meet in an alley.

And believe me when I say it: Andrew Bird is an extremely talented musician.

He whistles better than you. He plays guitar better than you. He probably sings better than you, plays the violin better than you, and although he's no Evelyn Glennie, he plays a mighty mean glockenspiel. I mean, seriously... here he is jamming with Yo Yo Ma. How cool is that? And don't forget, he's most certainly a bigger jerk than you.

All these enviable triumphs aside, Mr. Bird remains one of my favourite musicians. It took a lot of listening to get him under my skin, but it was time well spent. I initially faulted him for simplicity (which, on its own, is really no fault at all), but deep listening unveiled eerily complex instrumentation and an incredible gift for song-writing. He's tone-perfect, even in live performances where he uses digital delay pedals to transform himself into a freakishly talented one-man-band.

Anyhow, enough ranting and raving for now. Here's this week's addition to the soundtrack, from his 2009 release Noble Beast: Effigy. Hope you enjoy it!

You win this time, Bird.