#21 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird is well-loved by The Bacon Top 31. He’s had three albums on the Top 31 (#17 in 2019, #5 in 2016, #22 in 2009). With his song on I’ll Be Your Mirror (with Lucius) back at #24, this is his second appearance on the 2021 countdown.
Jimbo Mathus, on the other hand, is a new discovery for me. “New” isn’t quite right, though — he’s been around for decades, most notably as the cofounding multi-instrumentalist of the platinum-album selling Squirrel Nut Zippers. I can’t say I’ve been a fan – but I just listened to their 1996 hit “Hell” and joyfully sang along.
In researching their fantastic country-esque collaboration, These 13, I learned that Bird has a history with Mathus and the Zippers: he was a member of the Zippers and recorded and toured with them from 1996-1998. Since that time, the two of them have maintained a friendship, and worked together occasionally. These 13 is the longest, most sustained work the two of them have done together.
Bird’s typically fantastic violin playing and strumming, his powerful voice, and his magical whistling are all prominent here. It’s Mathus’s deep-south Mississippi roots that bring a new side to the types of songs Bird performs. This album is what country music should sound like. Bird’s whistling reminds me of one of my favorite country music legends, Dwight Yoakam and his glorious yodel.
Give these songs a whirl. There’s a lot to unpack here, but the history that these two share between them and the road that led them here is long. That history plays out beautifully across these 13 songs.
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22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications
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