This came out in 2005 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Man cannot live on nostalgia alone.
Chicago violinist and vocalist Andrew Bird — formerly of the retro-swinging Squirrel Nut Zippers — figured that out a few years ago. And he began updating his antiquated approach as a result. Bird spreads his wings farther than ever — and hits new heights — on his arftul fifth album The Mysterious Production Of Eggs. Frequently setting aside his fiddle in favour of a guitar and boldly combining elements of rock, jazz, folk and classical, Bird handcrafts an intriguingly rich sound somewhere between Beck’s mellow acoustic gold, Tom Waits’ twangy coolness, Lou Reed’s street-poet troubadourism and Rufus Wainwright’s romantic swoon. One listen and you’ll never be nostalgic for his old CDs again.
