SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ANDREW BIRD – CUNNINGHAM BIRD

ANDREW BIRD
CUNNINGHAM BIRD
LOMA VISTA RECORDINGS

Some albums are released and are just so odd that no one saw them coming at all. This can be said for Cunningham Bird, the collaborative album by Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham. Both artists have long solo careers, and his is the first full-length album of them working together as a duo. What wasn’t expected was them recording their version of the classic ‘lost’ album Buckingham Nicks by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Buckingham Nicks was released in 1973, prior to the duo joining Fleetwood Mac, and it was a flop. It is also one of the few albums that has never been remastered for streaming, CD, or vinyl reissues. It has simply disappeared over time, although many sing its praises.

Cunningham and Bird have taken the mid-1970s California, laid-back rock album, and have reinterpreted in a folk-rock way. And it works. It is a brilliant album. Cunningham and Bird sound great together, and on songs like, “Don’t Let Me Down Again”, they may even surpass the original. Their voices complement each other perfectly, and the violin solo is just stunning. Even the one cover version from the original album, “Django”, is very different from the original album. Here it is almost a lament, with Bird’s wonderful violin taking the spotlight.

Besides being a creative guitar player, Cunningham provides great vocals. She is not trying to emulate Nicks. And she shouldn’t. Nicks was young and somewhat inexperienced when she recorded the original album, and she has her own distinct voice and style. Cunningham uses her voice to express the emotion and the beauty of the songs, especially with “Races Are Run”. When Bird comes in, the two create a magical, almost otherworldly sound. Like the original album, the overall feeling is laid back, but Cunningham and Bird create a different atmosphere and really bend the songs to fit their own particular sound and style.

It is great that Cunningham and Bird have recorded their version of this lost gem to bring it back into the spotlight and bring it to a whole new audience and perhaps generation. Their arrangements of the songs are exceptional with Bird and Cunningham leaving a great deal of space in the songs, so there is room to listen to and enjoy each song.

Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks went on to much bigger and better things following this one-off album. They certainly achieved a level of success neither could have ever imagined. Perhaps Cunningham Bird will remind them of just how great the album was. Bird and Cunningham have created a wonderful interpretation of the album. It does not replace the original, but it sure is nice to have these songs available again. Cunningham Bird is a very odd but extremely likable album. The album could have gone wrong in so many ways, and yet, it really is quite a success.

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