Jimbo Mathus and
Andrew Bird first started making music together during the
Squirrel Nut Zippers' heyday in the 1990s, when they were up for the adventure of the group's brand of hot jazz mania. A few decades later, both of them have followed a number of different musical paths, and 2021's
These 13, which
Mathus and
Bird created in collaboration, reflects their changes as well as their common bonds. The peppy, cheerfully frantic tone of the
Zippers is missing here, as is their variation on 1920s jazz; instead, these songs take their inspiration in Southern blues, country, and folk music, with the instrumentation almost entirely acoustic and the performances often filled with sorrow and regret instead of good times. In short, if you were hoping
These 13 would be a scaled-down return to the wild fun of their early days, you will be very much disappointed. But as a spare, deeply felt effort that reveals how much
Mathus and
Bird love and respect roots music and one another's talents,
These 13 is something truly special. With rare exceptions,
Mathus and
Bird are the only musicians who appear on these tracks, and these performances sound as if they were recorded in real time, without overdubs or excessive editing. This is the sound of two people in a room, much like the dusty old records that first inspired them, and it's an example of the magic that can be conjured from such simple means. Their instrumental work is rarely flashy, despite their considerable gifts (though
Bird's violin is sublime in its ability to sing or squawk as the melody demands), and it suits the tenor of these songs beautifully; "Bell Witch" has one foot in gospel and the other in a heartbroken country ballad, with halves powerfully eloquent, "Stonewall (1863)" is a soulful contemplation of mortality and regret, "Poor Lost Souls" is an introspective companion piece to
the Flying Burrito Brothers' "Sin City," and "Jack O'Diamonds," one of the set's most lively numbers, is full of swagger while speaking honestly of the wages of a life of sin.
These 13 has little to do with
Mathus and
Bird recalling past glories, and much more to do with the beauty and mysteries of the music of the American South. Anyone who wonders why they love this stuff so much need only listen to this splendid album to find all the answers. ~ Mark Deming