Andrew Bird
I Want To See Pulaski At Night
(Grimsey Records)

Andrew Bird released his seven-track instrumental EP, I Want To See Pulaski  At Night, featuring a collection of classical songs. It’s a pure love instrumental record. “Ethio Invention No.  1” and “Ehtio Invention No. 2” are two seperate acoustic tracks that seemingly have everything in common. “Hover I” and “Hover II” are brilliantly alike; “Hover I” is  the start-up song and “Hover II” transcends into a faster, upbeat pace that can easily inspire a Picasso-like painting. To think this album was pieced together in a couple of weeks is quite remarkable.

The second track, “Lit From Underneath,” is full of violins and whistling in the beginning with light guitar strumming. It almost sounds like a group of birds singing along simultaneously. “Logan’s Loop” is ironically enough of a never-ending looping rhythm. The entire album takes listeners in and out of an acoustic dreamworld with a classical touch.

The title track is the only song on the EP with actual words by Bird. Much of the lyrics are repetitive yet so pertinent to the revolving concept of  I Want To See Pulaski At Night. It’s a mix of Bird’s smooth vocals over instrumentals. He sings, “half empty, half full…I write you a story, but it loses its thrill/Thread and all of my witnesses keep turning up.”  The song feels a bit folky. The lyrics visually take you through Bird’s experiences imploring for his ex-lover “to come back to Chicago,” the city of lights (aka, his “lighter” days). It makes a bold statement for the EP.

Andrew Bird’s EP gets back to basics with seven full-length acoustic tracks. Listen now. This is folky, dreamy, classical and brand new Bird. Less is more and the EP stays true to the origin of sound.