Issued as a companion piece to Andrew Bird's early-2012 album Break It Yourself, Hands of Glory was recorded in even more stripped-down fashion, with an intimate group of likeminded musicians surrounding a single microphone. Bird adheres to tradition here, eschewing his artsy side for sounds and vibes from the Americana canon. A spooky spaghetti-western rendition of The Handsome Family's "When That Helicopter Comes" wanders slightly from the purely rustic feel, but surprisingly jaunty covers of Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You" and Alpha Consumer's "Spirograph" capture a balanced approach to country and folk. The dexterous fingerpicking of acoustic guitars and banjos behind "Railroad Bill" sounds like a veteran bluegrass band getting down to business. "Orpheo Looks Back" from Break It Yourself is redone carefully and slowly as "Orpheo." "Beyond the Valley of the Three White Horses" features Bird's exquisite violin work on the nine-minute workout. - iTunes
