New Moods

Bobby Birdman’s foray into lo-fi electronica yields some exotic and tasty fruits. Over the years, this quirky artist has shifted away from conventional singer/songwriter expressions towards the sort of synth-pop zaniness pioneered by Devo and Jona Lewie in the ‘70s. This time, he keeps his blithely crooning vocals front and center while surrounding himself with tinny (but effective) beat-box rhythms and robotic gurgles. Birdman is a romantic, although his valentines are a bit warped — tunes like “Dust Design,” “Truth Be Told” and Victory At Sea” betray a playful sort of tenderness. More often than not, he celebrates his own fleeting moods of confusion and happiness, as in “Only For A While” and “Well Sprung.” While Birdman’s lyrics are smartly polished, it’s the music that truly matters here — in fact, the a cappella tune “Silent But Violent” is a song about sound itself. Jaunty marches (“You’d Be Surprised”), woozy ballads (“Weighty Wait”) and ‘40s-esque Latin tunes (“What You Say”) keep the listener off-guard and a little giddy. A sweetly eccentric treat for those unafraid of a little silliness.