25. March 2025
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Media Review

Madison Cunningham & Andrew Bird – Cunningham Bird

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Madison Cunningham & Andrew Bird - Cunningham Bird

Madison Cunningham & Andrew Bird - Cunningham Bird
3.4

Rating

 3.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very good songwriting
  • Two high-level musicians

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Too complex and experimental
  • Extremely demanding

I featured music by Andrew Bird on Flyctory.com twice already. The last review has been the album These 13, recorded in collaboration with Jimbo Mathus. On 18th October 2024, Bird is releasing a new collaboration album. This time, he is working with Madison Cunningham. The title of the album is simply Cunningham Bird. Here is my review.

 

Madison Cunningham – About The Artist

Cunningham Bird is released just after the 28th birthday of Madison Cunningham. She was born on 14th October 1996 in Escondido, California, North of San Diego. Since 2014, Cunningham is pursuing a professional music career. In that year, she released the album Authenticity, which is nowadays no longer available on streaming platforms. Apart from three EPs, there are two additional albums in her discography. The most recent one is Revealer (2022).

 

Andrew Bird – About The Artist

Andrew Wegman Bird, a US-American indie-rock musician and multi-instrumentalist, was born in Lake Forest, Illinois, on 11th July 1973. His first steps into professional music was being a band leader of the group Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire, which was active from 1997 to 2003 and released three albums. Before that, he had already released his solo debut Music of Hair (1996). He has released sixteen studio album so far, the last one being Sunday Morning Put-On in May 2024.

 

M. Cunningham & A. Bird – Cunningham Bird – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 33 minutes.

1. Crying In The Night

Cunningham Bird comes with two blocks of songs. The four singles released so far are right at the beginning of the album, before you dip into songs you haven’t heard before. Crying in the Night thereby is a nice appetizer to the album. The song is somewhere between folk, pop and jazz. However, the core of this track is the duet style of the song. The voices of the two artists are so different, but they still work out together harmonically.

2. Stephanie

It’s not too special that songs nowadays are just 2:20 minutes. Apart from some non-lyrical vocals in the background, this song is in fact an instrumental track, driven by the acoustic guitar and string instruments. A very intense listen.

3. Without a Leg to Stand On

The fine rhythm in the background of the third song drive this one. Again, it is hard to find the right music genre draw, where this one could fit into. But it is that important? I would say no and just accept this song as a gentle, harmonic one.

4. Crystal

Do you always trust your first, initial feeling are the first words of Crystal. Just some strums from a cello lead to a bit of groove initially. Even though the arrangement gets a bit more energetic here and there, the song is in practice focusing on the two singers only. This leads to a magical aura of this track.

5. Long Distance Winner

The fifth track adds a dramatic feeling to the album. However, the vocal collaboration is the key magic of this. On top of that, there are its nice, partially metaphoric lyrics.

6. Don’t Let Me Down Again

Don’t Let Me Down Again tries to catch the listener with stomping drums from and the very beginning. The key melodic and instrumental burden is on rather classic instruments this time, for example different kinds of string. Some parts make it feel like a country song.

7. Django

Django is an interlude track. You hear the violin and some almost lamenting sounds from Madison Cunningham’s voice. The 73 second track directly links into the next one, Races are Run.

8. Races Are Run

With the beginning of the eighth track, the guitar is taking the lead again. However, there are some string parts as well in this dignified song. The chorus is then spreading comparably happy vibes. This leads to a nice contrast.

9. Lola My Love

This song starts with an intense, a bit of mysterious atmosphere. It is hard to guess in which direction the song is developing, even after the drums are joining in. There are also violin and flute-alike sounds. Overall, this rather leads to a jazzy touch of the song.

10. Frozen Love

The bass drum feels like the heartbeat of Frozen Love. The song does suggest a certain ease, but then expands on its virtuosity again.

 

M. Cunningham & A. Bird – Cunningham Bird – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

M. Cunningham & A. Bird – Cunningham Bird – My View

I really struggle judging on Cunningham Bird. The album is very intense and demanding. The two artists wrote deep songs, but it takes a lot to follow them. It is too jazzy and too classical to be really in wider pop music spectrum, whole also fans “from the other side” might feel too much folk and pop elements in it. I cannot keep up with it, even though other critics may be right stating that this one has more excellence than I can digest.

Favorite Song: Don’t Let Me Down Again

 

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