Previous albums by the American singer / songwriter Andrew Bird were notable for a love for old folk and jazz, original textual perspectives and unusual arrangements, in which he could give free rein to his love for the violin and the artificial flutes. Armchair Apocrypha, Bird's sixth album and his first for Fat Possum, manages to implement these elements more than ever in a solid indie-rock sound.
Although the record sounds less original than previous work at first, Bird appears to have delivered a special piece of work once again. The combination of unpolished rock with refined style quotes from classical music in particular gives his work the depth that many ordinary rock bands lack. (MS)more