Andrew Bird My Finest Work Yet LP

The 12th solo studio album by Andrew Bird covers political topics, climate change and apathy. The album title is meant to be tongue-in-cheek - when asked if the album is truly his finest work he responded "at some point, all of them are."

My Finest Work Yet is a strong collection of music buoyed by Bird's mastery as a musician, recognizable whistling melodies, and thoughtful lyrics. He does get political and inevitably opens himself up to criticism for it, but he does so with a light touch that doesn't overpower the songs. Even if listeners disagree with Bird's views, they'll still enjoy the music.

Andrew Bird's My Finest Work Yet is as much a culmination of his musical storytelling as it is a high mark of his 20-plus year career - you can walk away with a different favorite song with each listen. The album, Bird's 12th solo outing, is replete with superlatives, containing some of his most exquisite melodies and finest wordplay, as well as his lushest, warmest sound yet. The latter is a pinnacle achieved through live vocals, mainly from Bird and Madison Cunningham, and recording sessions sans headphones or separations... Bird has released live recordings before, but the 10 tracks that make up My Finest Work Yet feel even more present, more in the moment, while never sacrificing any musicianship. Paul Butler's production makes a gorgeous chorus out of the potential cacophony of a roomful of instruments and voices. The arrangements are as precise as ever, the track order gradually revealing a narrative that includes wrongdoings, incitement, and action. There is no resolution, but a commitment to shaking off our apathy or despair and helping others do the same. My Finest Work Yet won't start a revolution, nor is it looking to - Bird is mostly speaking up to say he's listening.

My Finest Work Yet is being called Bird's first 'political' album, and pushes the composer further into the realm of accessibility. It's a piece of masterful craftsmanship tucked snugly into the singer-songwriter tradition, filled with country-soul ballads and grungy laments driven by jangly guitars, family band harmonies, rumbling pianos and cinematic string passages that should appeal broadly to fans of the genre without alienating his own die-hards.