Bright Eyes
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
(Saddle Creek Records)
Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst-indie rock's reigning golden child-loves to tell stories. His popularity, which blossomed after 2002's Lifted, is largely based upon his ability to make himself accessible through lyrics that are at times magnificently graceful and other times purposefully obtuse.
When Oberst allows complete access to his mindset, a seemingly battered, self-scrutinizing world of pain and uncertainty, we see his sincerity. His quivering voice, meek delivery and undeniable openness all work together to create something that sounds very honest and precious.
So starts I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Bright Eyes most mature, focused album to date. It begins on \At The Bottom Of Everything"" with Oberst stuttering a surreal nightmarish story of a crashing airplane and an odd exchange of two strangers on the verge of death.
He then kicks off the song, which proves to be an excellent opener on an album that ponders society, existence and what a spiraling, immense effect drugs can have on our perception of these issues.
Wide Awake is more centered in one genre than previous Bright Eyes' efforts. Gone is the purposefully uneven production quality of Lifted that ranged from scrappy and noisy to layered and lush; instead Wide Awake establishes a largely pure, more homogenous folk/country rock sound, a definite sign of maturity.
Some of the finest moments on Wide Awake are also the most bare; On ""Lua,"" Oberst's hushed singing sounds are decidedly naked, amplified way in front of the barely strummed guitar. Like a good movie, the song gradually unfolds its compelling story of two lovers on a wild night bender, which by the morning becomes something entirely different: ""Me, I'm not a gamble, you can count on me to split / The love I sell you in the evening by the morning won't exist.""
The instant classic here is the amazing ""Landlocked Blues,"" which has been a live staple for years, and was featured on Saddle Creek's 2003 sampler as ""One Foot In Front Of The Other."" It gets reworked as a duet with folk singer Emmylou Harris, who adds a subtle touch to the song's already eloquent nature.
Oberst's often numbed, disillusioned lyrics sound more mature than ever, as he begs ""the devils of fame"" to leave him alone and dispenses memorable lines like ""With the noise in the background of a televised war ... I thought I heard someone say, if we walk away, they'll walk away.""
To his audience, Conor Oberst's depression is nothing short of glorious and inspiring, while to him it's surely remarkably debilitating; It is likely this, however, that drives him to continue to produce such high-quality material that so successfully gets at the heart of human emotion. He's come close to perfecting his craft on I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, and, as the title might suggest, he's a songwriter who has likely just hit his peak.
-Ben Peterson
Bright Eyes
Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
(Saddle Creek Records)
There is a lot riding on 24-year-old Conor Oberst's shoulders. By picking up any number of music magazines you will find full- page spreads commonly declaring Oberst the standard bearer of indie rock, not to mention the ""New Dylan"" for his revolutionary acoustic pursuits.
So it is interesting to attempt to make sense of Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, which is full of broken electronic beats and climaxing electric guitars. This full studio album is taken as an experiment and finds Oberst having to take new chances and move in unfamiliar ways, but that is not to say his efforts do not succeed or are uncomfortable.
Oberst takes everyone along for his invention as he tinkers and finds a harmonious symphony of sounds and new ideas that have blended into a smooth, memorable album once it gets off the ground around track five with ""Take It Easy (Love Nothing).""
The songs are rich, full tapestries of lyrics that end up being about the standard topics of death, breakups and abandonment while mixing a symphony of strings, electronic beats and Oberst's classic smooth and haunting vocals.
Commonly known for allowing his wandering lyrics to overcome his songs, it is refreshing that Digital Ash's songs take shape and run away with the listener's ear. Overall, Oberst knows when to pull back all the distractions and leave simple, good songs that are not heavy studio pieces, and alternately, when to allow the music to build and layer itself to perfection.
There are clever responses on Digital Ash in a Digital Urn to the latest success of neo synth-pop in the vein of The Postal Service. In fact, he has Postal Service's Jimmy Tamborello make a guest appearance programming on ""Take It Easy.""
While The Postal Service pulled off a quaint retrospect of synth-pop, Oberst decided to raise the bar and, in the process, one-ups The Postal Service's efforts with his fresh-versioned finished product.
While I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is destined to more easily capture the hearts of Bright Eyes' fans (and record sales), this album will most likely be remembered for its successful voyage into uncharted territory for Oberst. An album like Digital Ash is rare for its honesty and forthright attempts for an artist with a niche talent to deviate and try something as different and new as Oberst did and succeed with it.
-Bridget Maniaci
