Armchair Apocrypha

Infobox Album
Name = Armchair Apocrypha
Type = studio
Artist = Andrew Bird


Released = March 20, 2007
Genre = Indie rock, baroque pop
Length = 48:27
Label = Fat Possum
Producer =
Reviews =
*AbsolutePunk.net (90%) [http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=229107 link]
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3pftxze5ldke link]
*No Ripcord (8/10) [http://www.noripcord.com/?q=node/578 link]
*Paste Magazine Rating|4.0|5 [http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/4010/andrew_bird_armchair_apocrypha link]
*Pitchfork (7.7/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/41761-armchair-apocrypha link]
*PopMatters (9/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/11564/andrew-bird-armchair-apocrypha/ link]
*Rolling Stone Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/andrewbird/albums/album/13856504/review/13882498/armchair_apocrypha link]
*Stylus Magazine B+ [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/andrew-bird/armchair-apocrypha.htm Stylus Review]
*Tiny Mix Tapes Rating|3.5|5 [http://tinymixtapes.com/Andrew-Bird link]
Last album = "The Mysterious Production of Eggs"
(2005)
This album = "Armchair Apocrypha"
(2007)
Next album = "Soldier On EP"
(2008)

"Armchair Apocrypha" is American singer-songwriter Andrew Bird's fifth studio album. The album features more electric guitars, a change from the more acoustic-oriented "Eggs", though the songs are similar in character if slightly more straightforward.

"Simple X" is a track started by collaborator Dosh, who supplied the drum track on the final version, with Bird adding lyrics. The track "Imitosis" is an expansion of the song "I" (also called "Capital I" live) on his 2003 album "Weather Systems". The song "Darkmatter" is also a rehash of the song "Sweetbreads", which can be found on the live EP "Fingerlings 1". Both bonus tracks also evolved from previous songs: "Sick of Elephants" was originally known as "Sycophantitis" and "Self-Torture" adds lyrics and incorporates the melody from the instrumental "The Water Jet Cilice" from "Fingerlings 3". Haley Bonar who opened some shows on Andrew's tour sings background vocals on four songs.

The album debuted at number 76 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 11,000 copies in its first week. [Katie Hasty, [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003563939 "Modest Mouse Steers Its 'Ship' To No. 1 Debut"] , Billboard.com, March 28, 2007.]

Track listing

#"Fiery Crash" – 4:12
#"Imitosis" – 4:01
#"Plasticities" – 4:27
#"Heretics" – 3:33
#"Armchairs" – 7:02
#"Darkmatter" – 5:07
#"Simple X" – 3:36
#"The Supine" – 0:59
#"Cataracts" – 3:12
#"Scythian Empires" – 4:34
#"Spare-Ohs" – 4:07
#"Yawny at the Apocalypse" – 3:39

Bonus tracks

*"Sick of Elephants" (iTunes album only bonus track) – 4:46
*"Self-Torture" (eMusic only bonus track) – 3:38

References