Our feature series Track by Track allows artists to run through every song on their newest release. Today, Andrew Bird breaks down his latest album, Inside Problems.
Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Andrew Bird returns today (June 3rd) with his newest full-length LP, Inside Problems. Inspired by complex thoughts awoken by silence and the idea of thresholds, Bird looks to offer wisdom on the lush 11 tracks.
Bird has always remained busy. Prolific in his artistic output, whatever form that may take, he seems to have an unquenchable thirst to create. Preceded by 2019’s My Finest Work Yet, 2020’s holiday-themed Hark!, and 2021’s collaborative These 13, Inside Problems marks Bird’s fourth album in as many years. In the same time period, he’s also taken up acting (check out his performance in Season 4 of Fargo), scored a Judd Apatow film, and nabbed his first Grammy nod.
Of course, at least in the last two years, his workload existed within the confines of the pandemic. Even as Bird continued to work, he faced moments of isolation, stillness, and silence — just like all of us. New questions and interests came as a result: the complexities of it all, the thresholds of categorization, and, of course, Joan Didion.
“You just don’t know what’s under the surface, be it the land, the sea, our skin. You could be whistling away, projecting contentedness, when really there’s a swirling twisted mess underneath,” Bird tells Consequence. “Looking up, there’s the knowable universe but unless you get into astrology, you’ll find the stars don’t owe us anything.”
As usual, Bird is ambitiously tackling some grand ideas. To get to the heart of these questions, Consequence connected with Bird for exclusive insight into the songs on Inside Problems. Check out the album below, followed by Bird’s full Track by Track breakdown.
Bird is also gearing up for his first full-band tour in nearly three years, which he will co-headline with Iron & Wine. Grab tickets here.