My Finest Work Yet
My Finest Work Yet is the twelfth solo studio album by Andrew Bird, released on March 22, 2019. It is notable for being Andrew Bird's first overtly political album,[2] covering topics such as divisive political atmosphere, climate change, and apathy.[3]
My Finest Work Yet
March 22, 2019
Barefoot Studios (Los Angeles)
Sound City Studios (Los Angeles)
Dreamland Recording (Hurley, New York)
45:08
- Andrew Bird
- Paul Butler
Background[edit]
"Bloodless," which was released as the first single, was written between the 2016 election and Charlottesville. "I was trying to figure out a way to step back and look at everything that's going on," Bird said, "and look at how we're caught in this sort of death spiral."[4]
The album title, similar to previous album Are You Serious, was originally a working title and an inside joke. When asked if it truly was his "finest work yet," Bird responded, "At some point, all of them are."[4]
The album cover was photographed by creative director Amanda Demme.[5] It is a recreation of the 1793 painting The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David, which depicts Jean-Paul Marat, a journalist and revolutionary who was assassinated during the height of the French Revolution. The painting was originally chosen so that its dramatic nature ("the suffering poet on his deathbed penning his last words with his dying breath") would enhance the humorous tongue-in-cheek title of the album. Upon further research, however, Bird found that the painting's historical significance lined up with the political tone of the album.[6]
Release[edit]
Bird released the single "Bloodless" on November 2, 2018.[7] The album was officially announced on January 30, 2019,[8] with the album's second single "Sisyphus" released the same day.[9] A third single, "Manifest", was released on March 5, 2019.[10] My Finest Work Yet was released on March 22, 2019, through Loma Vista Recordings.[11]