Armchair Apocrypha

Issued in 2007, ARMCHAIR APOCRYPHA marks a period of change for indie-pop vocalist/violinist Andrew Bird, as it's both his debut on the Fat Possum label and his first solo album without longtime collaborators Kevin O'Connell and Nora O'Connor. Recorded by the Chicago-based performer in Minneapolis with a cadre of local musicians, most notably multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh, APOCRYPHA furthers Bird's inventive, genre-melding aesthetic, with the swooning "Heretics" calling to mind a folk-inclined Pavement, and the spare "Scythian Empire" blending delicately plucked violin with a warm keyboard sheen. A showcase for Bird's plaintive vocals, dynamic string lines, and utterly unique songcraft, ARMCHAIR APOCRYPHA stands out as a transitional album and, even more importantly, one of his finest outings.