Today is a big day for Illinois.
Not only does one of its most talented musicians, Andrew Bird, drop his latest album, “Noble Beast,” but it also marks the presidential inauguration of former state Sen. Barack Obama.
You may have heard of him.
But back to the first guy!
Everyone’s favorite violinist/whistler is back, but with a couple of changes.
Bird has been praised for his inimitable style and triumphant albums such as “The Mysterious Production of Eggs” but chooses to veer slightly away from his nonpareil elegance with “Beast.”
He begins by easing you into this endeavor with “Oh No,” a gentle reminder of classic Bird, as whistle-y as ever, and then comes completely out of left field with “Masterswarm.”
By dragging out his syllables and placing more emphasis than usual on his percussions, Bird comes off sounding more like Thom Yorke than himself.
Similarly, “Effigy” finds Bird combining a deeper, more resonating tone, melancholy melody, and even throwing a female singer into the mix to produce something reminiscent of Johnny Cash.
While this may be germane to the title, it is not the Bird we have come to know and love.
The fact that other artists cannot imitate his peerless perception of music also goes to say that he doesn’t need to imitate anyone either.
The multi-instrumentalist that he is, Bird really gets to show off his bank of musical knowledge with “Beast,” only to suggest that the layered recording of all these different instruments is overwhelming.
Bird has a true ear for finding the beauty in simple, isolated sounds but places that skill on the back burner for this album.
This is why the borderline techno-infiltrated “Not a Robot, But a Ghost” would be near perfect if he played down the heavy percussion ““ no one needs to be twirling glow sticks in the club to an Andrew Bird song.
This altered style is also why the first half of “Anonanimal” doesn’t work but the second half does.
Halfway through this hypnotically repetitive track, Bird breaks it down with light clapping and a gorgeous violin solo, showcasing his pure talent and the reason he was put on this planet.
He then joins in with his soothing voice, and this combination provides the highlight of the entire album.
After a couple of forgettable songs, Bird eases you to a close with “Souverian,” another remnant of his previous albums, and “On Ho,” a palindrome of the first track that showcases another violin solo.
Overall, “Beast” is euphonic and has just as much lyrical sophistication, or lyrical enigma, depending on how you look at it, as Bird’s earlier work. The difference is that he has made some melodic sacrifices.
He has traded in his signature talent of pizzicato for a reliance on backup vocals and intense percussion throughout the album. The outcome is that the majority of songs are just dreary and not fun.
The irony of it is that Bird’s audience praises him for his differences on all of his other albums, but “Beast’s” differences are what make it hard to swallow.
By bringing so many new accessories onto this album, Bird has gone from the recluse with a violin that we’ve grown so fond of to someone who’s beginning to blend in with the rest of today’s new music.
But, like our incoming president, Bird has all the potential in the world. He has wowed us before and undoubtedly will again.
E-mail Mohtasham at smohtasham@media.ucla.edu.