In his tenth studio album, indie folk artist Andrew Bird has created a gritty EP filled with Americana and bluegrass tones, making Hands of Glory the perfect follow up to Break It Yourself, released last March.

Bird has been in the industry for over two decades, playing with various bands before embarking on a solo career. His indie folk sound has been steadily progressing over that time and has culminated in the aforementioned companion albums.

Hands of Glory’s opener, “Three White Horses,” is characterized by its gently thrumming bassline and echoing, full vocals. Here, Bird has created a quaint, twangy track that successfully sets the tone for the rest of the eight-track album.

“When That Helicopter Comes,” a cover of a song by The Handsome Family, continues to walk the country line with drawling, but enthralling lyrics alongside the screeching sounds of Bird’s violin. “The sky will swim in lightning fire/And the trees will shake and scream,” Bird sings, using the fantastic imagery of the song to create the feeling of an outlaw tale, told under the cover of darkness by the campfire.

Bird appears to be channeling “American Pie” singer Don McLean or perhaps folk rock band Dawes on his third track, echoing the vocal style of the one-hit wonder on “Spirograph.” A cover of an Alpha Consumer song, the track is disarmingly charming, threaded with gentle “oohs” and supported by a warm acoustic guitar melody.

The fourth track is an upbeat, toe-tapping story of “Railroad Bill,” a legendary African American outlaw. Acoustic guitar finger-picking and down-home fiddle sounds intermingle, making the audible “whoo-hoo” about midway through the song an adequate reaction to the excellent song.

“Something Biblical” opens with fantastic pizzicato and is further defined by two prodigious fiddle solos by Bird himself, creating a unique song that sets itself apart from the rest of the album and is certainly one of the more interesting ones instrumentally.

Hopping right back to a classic folk sound, Bird delves into one of his better vocal deliveries on “If I Needed You.” On yet another cover, this one from Townes Van Zandt, Bird pours out emotion, filling the track on lyrics like, “If I needed you would you come to me/Would you come to me, and ease my pain?”

Perhaps the most forgettable song on the album, “Orpheo” relies on Bird’s vocal prowess but comes up short. Though the song’s style fits nicely with the rest of the album, the dejected tone the singer uses feels almost foreign on an album that, though dark, has a more dangerous feel to it than the somber meanderings of “Orpheo.”

“Beyond the Valley of the Three White Horses” serves as the album’s closer. Slightly longer than nine minutes, the song defines itself through softly sung background vocals, Bird’s sauntering fiddle and an extended journey with a Mellotron, making for an epic ending track worthy of its long playtime.

The grizzled, pastoral brother to Break It Yourself, the eight-track Hands of Glory serves as a perfect companion to its predecessor. Impeccably unkempt and gratifyingly folksy, Bird’s new album is one that fans will adore and new listeners will find comfortably accessible.