Wind Up Bird - Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes

Wind Up Bird - Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes
2018, SMLXL

To me, Matt Thiessen is a legend. He co-founded Relient K, one of the more famous Christian bands of the 2000s, and wrote most of their music, inserting himself as a favorite among any Christian who grew up in the 2000s. Another great thing about Matt Thiessen is that he never pinned down a "Relient K" formula; the music grew with him. Air for Free, Relient K's latest album, is an energetic yet mellow album filled with Thiessen's skillful piano melodies and outstanding lyrics: fitting for a group of guys in their mid-thirties. Now in his late-thirties, Thiessen has gone solo and released his most stripped back and laid back work yet: Wind Up Bird.

The main instruments on this album are guitars, pianos, drums, and vocals, and Thiessen lays them down well. The easiest comparison I can make to this album is a dip in a cool lake in the middle of a forest on a hot summer day: in other words, refreshing and organic. Thiessen's layered vocals blend well with backing vocals as they wash over your mind. The finger-picked guitar rifts and lofty piano melodies carry you down the river. In retrospect, this album is a fitting sequel to Air for Free in terms of its musical direction. But I do have some problems here. While the music is soft and relaxed, sometimes it gets more "peppy" like on "Man of Stone" and "Forrest." This wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the mixing. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, maybe I'm not experienced enough to make this criticism, but something seems off about the sound of these two songs, like all the instruments are on the same layer, all fighting for center stage. The end result is a pair of songs that sound cluttered when compared to the breezy and free tracks that make up the rest of the album. Also, the song "Higher Power" (one of my favorites) gives me some Bon Iver vibes: whether or not that is a good thing is up to the listener.

Another problem I have with this album are the lyrics. They are not at all bad; in fact, I'd argue that their simplicity might even add to the laid-back feel of the album. But knowing what Thiessen is capable of, I can't help but feel like we were gypped in terms of the lyrics on this album. Every song follows the same verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus form that has plagued the pop industry for who-knows-how-long. And while this is not in any way a new thing for Thiessen, what is said through those lyrics seems to be less meaningful and more straightforward than what I'm used to with Thiessen. I feel as though the songs rely too heavily on the chorus instead of poignant and playful verses. But again, I'm new to this whole reviewing thing, so take this criticism lightly.

With all that questionable criticism out of the way, I want to make it clear that I do enjoy the album; questionable mixing on two songs and simple lyrics throughout are not going to ruin an album for anyone. As with Air for Free, I enjoyed the final product and can't wait to see what Thiessen does next.

7.5/10

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