Review:

on 2009-08-25 ToddLevinsonFrank Said:

At different times (and to various degrees) Conor Oberst is one of many artists to be cursed with the "new Dylan" label, but one of the things he really has in common with Bob Dylan is a refusal to be pinned down and labeled again. Perhaps by subconsciously taking a page from Dylan's book, he's managed to explore his own duality as a means of throwing us curves and proving that sometimes following a muse means making lots of left turns.

Bright Eyes, the "band" that serves as creative vehicle for Oberst the singer/songwriter, became a critical and cult success with the release of Lifted, or The Story's in the Soil Keep Your Ear to the Ground in 2002. With sprawling narratives, stunning/clever/rambling lyrics, and musical diversions that ranged from the stark to the symphonic, Lifted was at times as bloated and pretentious as its title. But it was also brilliant, earning the then-22-year-old Oberst the unenviable and predictably clich?d titles bestowed by the label-happy media of the new century: "alt-folk boy genius of the emo generation." Yet another "this generation's Bob Dylan." Recording since his first demo at age 12, this prot?g? from Omaha, Nebraska could've awoken in the aftermath of such success in danger of crumbling under the weight of the lofty expectations, his own prolific output, or both.

But in January of 2005, Bright Eyes released two separate albums at the same time, just as other new Dylans Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams had once done. That's always a tough trick to pull off. Bright Eyes succeeds, mostly because the albums, both lyrically driven, are very different in sound and instrumentation. He had originally considered splitting the ambitious Lifted into two separate releases, and by doing so with these new albums, he shows us the stark contrast of his two sides. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn lays a cold and modern electronic foundation for Oberst's whiny wails (not unlike the Cure's Robert Smith) and deathly meditations. It's a solid yet unspectacular effort, but the real gem is it's acoustic-based companion, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. This terrific set of folk tunes won't help Bright Eyes escape the Dylan comparisons, but it does cement his growing legend as one of America's great young songwriters and recording artists. Wide Awake is just a simple and purely great album, highly recommended along with Lifted.

Rating: 9/10

Review:

on 2009-07-06 fortunecookie Said:

To echo other reviewers, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is the best album by Bright Eyes. It may not be quite as progressive as Oberst's other albums, but it certainly takes indie music in new directions. Even if you strip away everything musical, the lyrics are heartbreakingly poetic.

"Lua" is one of Bright Eyes's best, the gentle, sleepy but powerful tale of both love and loving being alone.

"First Day Of My Life" is the most mainstream song on the album, and one that is hard to resist putting on repeat. Oberst shows us that, despite the acoustic guitar and mournful eyes, Bright Eyes is quite capable of sounding hopeful.

"At the Bottom of Everything" is a depressing joy, and reminds me why I need to keep buying whole albums rather than just one or two songs off them.

Overall, if you enjoy indie music in any capacity, this is an absolute must-download.
Rating: 9/10

Review:

on 2007-09-19 SolitaryMan Said:

Great review Kiley. I'd like to hear your thoughts on my favorite of Connor's work, "Lifted or the story is in the soil".
Not Rated

Review:

on 2007-09-18 DeathEyesForKiley Said:

Connor Oberst, what is there left to say he is simply a genius. This what i consider not his most daring or adventourous of albums is without a doubt his best. It exemplifies everything Conner and all of his bands lyrics and songs are all about. From "Lua" to "Lover I Don't Have to Love" his raw, powerful, and emotion filled voice carries echos of a masterpiece. For any fan this would have to be the first Bright Eyes album to buy. It is almost a gate way drug to everything that is Conner Oberst. I am running out of ways to say that this album is amazing. Strictly focusing on the music this album can be one for all time. You can feel the emotion and effort put into this. While Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is much more daring, this albut is plan sick. Put simply THIS ALBUM IS BRIGHT EYES. If that is not reason enough to get it for you, do not buy it cause you will not take in everything that it offers, which happens to be alot.
Rating: 10/10

Review:

on 2007-06-15 kev_stev Said:

When reading about Bright Eyes in magazines or on the internet, one tends to find more biographies of Conor Oberst than explorations or reviews of his music, one reason being because of his notorious image in the indie rock world. However, this album cannot be ignored nor overshadowed by Oberst’s image; it is an album of ups and downs, ranging from the gentle harmonies of the gloomy “Lua” or “Poison Oak” to the boisterous dissonance of “Road to Joy.” Oberst lives up to all his expectations on this release, creating a folk album with elements of rock-n-roll with, as always, exceptional lyrics.
Rating: 10/10