Albums to watch

Noble Beast

Andrew Bird

Noble Beast

Fourth album of eclectic sounds from the multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist American songwriter, singer, violinist, guitarist and whistler

ADM rating[?]

7.1

Label
Bella Union
UK Release date
02/02/2009
  1. 10.0 |   The Guardian

    Creates an alternative vision of the universe as seductive as it is strange.
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  2. 9.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    This is music aimed at emphatically tugging the heartstrings as much as it is firing up the synapses.
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  3. 9.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    Thinking-person's pop
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  4. 8.0 |   Uncut

    There’s a sense throughout that Bird’s head is engaged in a battle with his heart, as if aware that there’s a pop masterpiece squatting on the far horizons of his intuition.
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  5. 7.5 |   Pitchfork

    The sound of the album is as important as the notes Bird plays, and this extends to the lyrics, where he's gradually gone from word-play to syllable-play, often choosing lines for their sounds and tonal quality more than for their meaning.
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  6. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Bird’s impressionistic lyrics carry the emotional payload... his trademark whistling, making dysfunction sound as romantic as roses.
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  7. 7.0 |   Spin

    Bird's phlegmatic voice has a way of softening tragedies and soothing beasts -- natural, noble, or otherwise.
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  8. 7.0 |   musicOMH

    This is an album that slowly reveals itself to its listeners. There's all manner of good things going on here and much pleasure to be derived for the listener.
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  9. 7.0 |   Blender

    This beast takes care and feeding, but its purring tongue has hints to drop about our changing times.
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  10. 7.0 |   The Observer

    There's no doubting his genius or the enchanting allure of this fourth solo album.
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  11. 6.0 |   The Quietus

    If only Bird had put as much of his unquestionable talent into making these still-lovely songs sparkle as he did into making his impressive, linguist-challenging lyrics sound so surprisingly light.
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  12. 6.0 |   The List

    The warm alt.pop melodies on Noble Beast purr rather than roar but after savouring the tongue-twistery lyrics and geeky, library-raiding wordplay, the lack of high octane thrills are made up for by swaying, wordy sing-a-longs.
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  13. 6.0 |   Daily Telegraph

    A magical, miniature world of pizzicato plinks, flutes and ""harmless sociopaths"".
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  14. 6.0 |   No Ripcord

    In the end, the record is needlessly complex, and lacks the virility that was evident on Eggs and Armchair. It also makes me a bit seasick with all the changing gears.
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  15. 6.0 |   PopMatters

    To be sure, there’s some real meat to be found in Noble Beast‘s middle section, though getting there requires wading through multiple mediocre tracks.
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Andrew Bird: Noble Beast

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