Break It Yourself
2012 studio album by Andrew Bird
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Break It Yourself is the sixth solo studio album by the American singer-songwriter Andrew Bird, released on March 5, 2012, through Mom+Pop records in the US and Bella Union in the UK.[1] The track "Lusitania" features a duet with St. Vincent.[2]
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| Break It Yourself | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 5, 2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 60:20 | |||
| Label | Mom + Pop (US) Bella Union (UK) | |||
| Producer | Andrew Bird, David Boucher | |||
| Andrew Bird chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Break it Yourself | ||||
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Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The A.V. Club | (A−)[5] |
| The Guardian | [6] |
| Pitchfork | (7.5/10)[7] |
| PopMatters | (5/10)[8] |
| Rolling Stone |  [9] |
| Beats Per Minute | (79%)[10] |
The album was well received by critics: according to Metacritic, the album has received an average review score of 80/100, based on 33 reviews.[3]
The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 10, which is Bird's first top 10 entry in the chart, selling 30,000 copies in the first week.[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Desperation Breeds..." | 5:30 | |
| 2. | "Polynation" | 0:45 | |
| 3. | "Danse Caribe" | 5:19 | |
| 4. | "Give It Away" | 4:31 | |
| 5. | "Eyeoneye" | 4:07 | |
| 6. | "Lazy Projector" | 4:59 | |
| 7. | "Near Death Experience Experience" | 4:29 | |
| 8. | "Behind the Barn" | 1:04 | |
| 9. | "Lusitania" | Bird, Annie Clark | 4:04 |
| 10. | "Orpheo Looks Back" | 4:55 | |
| 11. | "Sifters" | Bird, Sharon Lanza | 4:13 |
| 12. | "Fatal Shore" | 5:06 | |
| 13. | "Hole in the Ocean Floor" | 8:18 | |
| 14. | "Belles" | 3:00 |
Other appearances
- Versions of "Danse Caribe", "Eyeoneye", and "Sifters" appear on Fingerlings 4. They are titled "Danse Carribe", "Oh Baltimore", and "The Sifters" respectively.
- A slower version of "Orpheo Looks Back" (called "Orpheo") appears on Hands of Glory.
Personnel
Band
- Andrew Bird – violin, guitar, vocals, whistling
- Martin Dosh – drums
- Jeremy Ylvisaker – guitar, keyboards, background vocals
- Mike Lewis – bass, tenor saxophone, background vocals
Additional musicians
- J. T. Bates – drums on "Danse Caribe"
- Annie Clark (St. Vincent) – vocals on "Lusitania", courtesy of 4AD
- Nora O'Connor - vocal harmonies on "Give It Away", "Lazy Projector", "Near Death Experience Experience", "Fatal Shore"
- Simone White – vocal harmony on "Desperation Breeds"
- Wendy Lewis – cooking, moral support
Charts
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] | 84 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[13] | 137 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[14] | 79 |
| Spanish Albums (Promusicae)[15] | 63 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[16] | 100 |
| US Billboard 200[17] | 10 |
| US Americana/Folk Albums (Billboard)[18] | 1 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[19] | 1 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[20] | 3 |
| US Indie Store Album Sales (Billboard)[21] | 3 |
| US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[22] | 2 |