Interesting review of Conor Oberst's work, past and present. I personally disagree with the author, who finds herself less than taken by the folksy stylings of Bright Eyes' latest efforts; in particular, she does not give enough credit to his better lyrics. But it's an interesting point: his earlier work, which first caught my attention back in high school (wow), was so raw and youthful. Now he's pretending to be old.
But is he really? Yes, his vocals have borrowed more from Cash than Carrabba these days, and nothing on 2007's Cassadaga is as emotive as "Something Vague." But take a look at these lyrics from the recent release:
When panic grips your body and your heart's a humming bird
Raven thoughts blacken your mind til you're breathing in reverse
And all your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse
And every reassurance just magnifies the doubt
Better find yourself a place to level out.
or this:
I keep floating down the river but the ocean never comes
And since the operation I heard you're breathing just for once
Now everything is imaginary, especially what you love
You left another message, said it's done
It's done.
No, it's not teen angst, but it's not aging cowboy angst either. It's twentysomething angst. It's the music that sounds mature; the lyrics are still lost and unripe. The rhymes are tighter and the language more contrived, but there's sophistication in that too. It's not Dylan, but it beats high school poetry.
As for me, there's a time for vintage Bright Eyes and a time for the new stuff. The former becomes most powerful when sitting in your room, alone and miserable and desperate for solace. The latter is best when driving down an empty summer highway. Take your pick.
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