Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird – These 13
Thirty Tigers – 5 March 2021
While Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird have had a mutual admiration society for over twenty-five years, it wasn’t until 2018 that the duo finally began to collaborate on their own album, These 13. Mathus has always been a fascinating figure as Bird relates, “Up until meeting Jimbo, all my musical heroes were dead. Jimbo was anything but and just oozed musicality of a kind I thought was extinct.” Mathus has been a student of the blues since his days in the libraries of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On the other hand, Andrew Bird studied Chicago and New York blues, along with American music and theatre. From their days together in Squirrel Nut Zippers, they formed an unbreakable bond.
Part of what makes These 13 remarkable is the musical conversations that developed as the two collaborated. Everything was recorded live, direct to analog tape using one RCA 44 microphone. What makes the collaboration unique is how the two of them created a musical dialogue, sharing musical thoughts and finishing each other’s musical sentences. What evolves is a continuation of traditional forms that go back generations. “Poor Lost Soul” begins as a song sung solo by Mathus for the first two verses, before Bird takes over on the third verse, then his violin comes in on what seems to be a lonesome mountain tune.
As a guitar player Mathus shows a dedication to the acoustic that is revelatory, this is a man that knows his musical heritage. Bird, on the other hand, shows off a bluesy voice that hasn’t often been heard on much of his recorded work. His violin playing, particularly on songs like “Encircle My Love,” resonates with an understanding of traditional frameworks. Together, the two are able to recreate forms that stay true to the source while breaking lyrical ground in unexpected ways.
While sounding like something out of the Jimmy Reed songbook, “Red Velvet Rope” actually tells a tale of an over-adoring fan, “A red velvet rope and a red carpet/ They separate me from you/ You’re on your side and I’m on mine/ But I love you, what else can I do?” Bird’s violin plays a mournful refrain, filled with unrequited love. But on this album love comes in many forms, like the love that the Southern army had for General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Mathus sings “Stonewall” like a preacher, informing the assembly of what the next line in the song will be. Following that up with “Bright Sunny Southland,” a brief bit of organ work that ends the church service.
Even though songs seem based on old themes, many get a new twist. Mathus plays guitar while Bird sings “Option B: Dig Up the Hatchet,” a tale of love that may not bring out the best in its two participants. “Bring up your boyfriend from way back home/ Mention those pictures you found on my phone/ Then we’ll tumble and fall into a hollering fight/ We’ll dig up the hatchet tonight.” The subtlety with which the two play something traditional while singing in such a modern context causes one to pause and consider how well these men understand musical forms.
Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird know musical forms in a scholarly way, yet These 13 is in no way an erudite scholarly work. It is the kind of effort that illustrates how traditions can be passed down from generation to generation while adding elements that continue to breathe new life into old forms.
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