The Mysterious Production of Eggs

iTunes Review

In Andrew Bird's songs you can still spot the flickering shadows of influences from Django Reinhardt and the Beatles to old-timey string bands and gypsy caravans. However, on his fifth studio album, the Chicago-based singer-songwriter masterfully spins those sounds into a style that's personal, unique and altogether new. Though he first gained notice for his virtuosic violin work--merging classical chops with a jazzy sense of adventure in concise pop songs--here the violin is just one of Bird's many tools; he bows or plucks it, whistles, plays guitar and vibes, then loops and layers those sounds and sings over them in a croon that's cool and assured but never detached. Just as fascinating is his playful, mischievous way with words: "Sovay," his idea of an anti-war song, laments "all those Don Quixotes in their B-17s/...They'll blow us back to the Seventies/...They're playing 'Ride of the Valkyries.'" Highly recommended to any fan of smart pop, Eggs is catchy enough to offer instant gratification but also sufficiently complex to provide long-haul rewards.