There's a Blue Bird in My Heart (Bonus Track Version)

There’s a Blue Bird in My Heart brings Anders Parker back to life, so to speak. Not since his days in Varnaline has he courted electricity so profoundly. Much of his solo career has been spent crafting acoustic “Americana” songs. His time working with Jim James and especially Jay Farrar brought out a mellowness that’s been hard to break out of. But as he plugs in an electric guitar, there’s a great blues stomp to “Animals,” while “Don’t Let the Darkness In” immediately brings a jangle to our ears. “The Road” builds to a boil for eight minutes, while “Unspoken” is stripped down and barren in all the right ways, letting Parker’s underrated voice reach full emotional pitch. “Silver Yonder” uses harmonies to breathe beauty into its sparse arrangement. “Epic Life” hits a pleasant cruising speed that demands a convertible and a highway for its choruses, while “Jackbooted Thugs (Have All the Best Drugs)” plays out with the fire of Crazy Horse and the tension of Parker’s best work. This bonus-track version includes a solo acoustic version of “Don’t Let the Darkness In” that also has an extra skip in its step.