| Andrew Bird – Norman OST (2011) |
Andrew Bird – Norman OST
Born: July 11, 1973, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Instruments: Voice, whistling, violin, guitar, glockenspiel
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Street date: October 11th, 2011
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer, and world renown whistler Andrew Bird scored the soundtrack for the film Norman, a gripping indie flick that follows a precocious high school kid through a series of life’s up and downs. Accompanied by tracks from Chad VanGaalen, Wolf Parade, The Blow and Richard Swift, Bird preps for his new album reportedly set for 2012 with a score both haunting and endearing. Stream the album in full after the jump.
Instrumentals dominate the record, though there are a few noteworthy songs that Andrew Bird sings on, including “Darkmatter,” a tongue-in-cheek track that addresses a child’s fascination with the game Operation. Moving string arrangements and plucked violin (a Bird specialty as much as his whistle) accompany acoustic guitars and bare-bone percussion, which in turn undulate the music’s emotion with an appropriately cinematic dynamic. The delicate compositions preview what I can only imagine will be a heart-breaking movie that, if this soundtrack is anything to go by, will most certainly leave a lasting impression on audiences.
Tracklist:
01. Andrew Bird – Scotch And Milk
02. Andrew Bird – 3:36
03. Andrew Bird – Arcs and Coulombs
04. Andrew Bird – Hospital
05. The Blow & Richard Swift – S.O.S
06. Andrew Bird – Nice Hat / Exit Sign / Angelo Speaks
07. Wolf Parade – Medicine Chest
08. Andrew Bird – Kiss / Time and Space / Waterfall
09. You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son
10. Andrew Bird – Cancerboy Strikes Again / Monsterstream
11. Chad VanGaalen – Rabid Bits of Time
12. Andrew Bird – Build Up To the Fall
13. Andrew Bird – Epic Sigh / the Python Connection
14. Andrew Bird – Bridge
15. Andrew Bird – Night Sky
16. Andrew Bird – Afterspeak / Things Come To a Head
17. Andrew Bird – Darkmatter
Minami Furukawa - diy-film.com: http://diy-film.com/2010/10/31/composer-andrew-bird-norman-at-ciff/
For Jonathan Segal’s new movie, Norman, the director tapped looping violinist extraordinaire and indie singer-songwriter Andrew Bird to create the soundtrack. One of the publicity blurbs describes Norman as a movie about “a self-aware and darkly funny teen,” which could mean the music goes with either an introspective hipster vibe or angst-ridden hard pop/metal. Given that Bird is the composer, we get the former, with a number of typically mellow and beautiful Bird folk/rock/pop tunes on here, the standouts being the acoustic and impassioned “Night Sky” and the electrically charged rocker “Darkmatter”. Additionally, there are a few choice outside contributions from the likes of The Blow and Wolf Parade. The real surprise here is Bird’s original, non-diegetic compositions.
He has created a background score that manages to tell quite a story, one of hope in the face of desolation, without even needing to see the movie. Bird follows a general formula of minimalist background sounds underneath deeply moody and passionate violin melodies. The former paint a cold, grey picture, while the latter breathe life and personality into the otherwise dour soundscapes.
Opening track “Scotch and Milk” captures this aesthetic perfectly. Oscillating chords of indiscriminate instrumental origin soon give way to a pulsating and nervous violin pizzicato, on top of which Bird layers lines of poppy violin melodies and driving tremolo strings. Other bits suggest darker scenes, like the eerie harmonics and dissonances of “Cancerboy Strikes Again/Monsterstream”. Luckily for Norman, his life isn’t just pain and suffering: He probably gets some action to the accompaniment of “The Kiss”, with finger-picked acoustic guitar and sweet, wordless vocalizations. Although they make for a staggeringly good movie score, these tracks probably won’t end up on your iPod; however, the five actual songs on this soundtrack are keepers. By Jake Cohen on October 13th, 2011 (http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/10/album-review-andrew-bird-norman-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/)
Website: http://www.andrewbird.net/
Streetdate.radio.com: http://streetdate.radio.com/2011/10/11/andrew-bird-scores-indie-film-norman-preps-new-material-for-2012-release/
XXXX on day three of The Falls Festival 2009 held in Otway rainforest on December 31, 2009 in Lorne, Australia.
Interview: http://www.clashmusic.com/themanwithaphilharmonic
Author: Dani Cantó / Date: 24 November 2009
Andrew Bird scratch-art by ~ LaScorcha on deviantART
2185 x 1683 |
I took a picture of the wonderfully talented Andrew Bird (whom I highly recommend listening to) and added a damask background, some branches, and birds. The scratchboard I used was textured, which I was not expecting and took some getting used to.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/watch_trailer_for_indie_drama_norman_with_soundtrack_by_andrew_bird/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/AndrewBirdMusic?sk=wall#!/NORMANthemovie