Andrew Bird’s Hands of Glory — his October 30th-due companion set to Break It Yourself — is here to stream in full via the Guardian. The perfect autumn record, Bird and friends gathered around a single microphone this time, playing live off the natural acoustics of a barn and church for the 8-track effort. While on paper the collection seems comprised of odds and ends (reworked Break It Yourself takes, a few covers, etc.), the result turns out to be an impressively cohesive effort — thriving on the decidedly loose approach and even a bit more fun than its predecessor. In short, I’d love to hear more of this type of fare from Bird on future LPs. Give it a spin above. Meanwhile, you can catch more of Bird’s live side on the road in coming weeks, with shows booked for Chicago, New York, Europe, and a fan-scheduled Latina America jaunt in the works for February.
