The other day I was listening to Andrew Bird’s Fake Palindromes. It struck me that it was quite a simple song. Just 4 chords, on a 6/8 beat with some intricate finger picking. On the guitar I mean, although he does something even more complex on the fiddle.
I liked this song at the first listen itself. It has all the ingredients of a powerful, punchy track, but the beauty of it is that it doesn’t come across as one. Well, maybe the surreptious wail of the violin mellows it here and there, but musically, its soul is not too different from that subterranean gem "Rebellion (Lies)" from one of the best exports from Canada -Arcade Fire. Don't get me wrong; both songs pay tribute to two entirely different aspects -the former actually sounds like a palindrome in parts, although I'd allow that only in a figurative sort of way. The latter sounds like a clarion call against any kind of propaganda. But I think there is some common territory when you compare them musically. I know there is some cloud around what exactly that is, but it could have something to do with the music both artists have been influenced by.
Come to think of it, Bird seems to be America’s answer to the Canadian baroque outfit. Both use elaborate techniques for a multiple-layering of sounds in their albums. Bird does it through of clever manipulation of gadgetry; Arcade Fire do it live with as many musicians as the track recorder can afford. The result is the same- a dense wall of sound that slowly builds up with incessant clangs and turbulent melodies.
That said, it'd be really interesting to see both the artistes perform together. Come on, is it that difficult?
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