Bright Eyes-I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Record Label: Saddle Creek Records
Release Date: January 25, 2005
Conor Oberst's band Bright Eyes has always had a knack for being truthful, heartfelt, and meaningful while retaining their raw and stripped-down nature. Well, the indie folk rock band is back and better than ever in this crowning achievement. Clearly ominous, the album creeps under your skin in a good, calm way, and to some, seems jocular. The whole album is simple and endearing in so many striking ways. Songs like "First Day Of My Life" are simple and catchy while keeping a message that's easy to relate to. Songs like these seem to have the potential to be cheesy and whiny, but Bright Eyes seem to fall on the other side of the fence. With sudden screams counterbalancing honey-sweet staccato vocals, this ranks well-above many other bands of the genre.
Many of the songs' lyrics chronicle Oberst's memories of New York City, and the music perfectly reflects this part of him in the way that it sounds like a folksy soundtrack suited for traveling throughout New York City late at night. Other lyrics shout out his extremely left-wing political views in a sometimes inarticulate manner that only heighten the dark, emotional atmosphere. The opening track, "At The Bottom Of Everything," is a perfect example of this, starting (just like the band's two previous albums) with a spoken word intro. The introduction entails the moments before a plane dives into the ocean when a man begins to sing the three-chord folk song displaying his sarcastic trademark views that are so obviously left-wing, they'd make Pelosi blush.
While Oberst is original in the way his music is constructed, a lot of folk music has been done before. While the album brings in some indie-pop and even some metal flavor, it doesn't scream originality the way Fear Before the March of Flames, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, or even The Blood Brothers do/did. However, this is easily overlooked (until "Road To Joy" is played) and (besides the aforementioned) is by no means a major downfall. It retains enough originality to really hold your interest for a bunch of spins.
In short, Bright Eyes has made a trademark album that will hold it's place permanently on the folk-alternative scene's CD shelf right beside Broken Social Scene. If you liked anything else this band has put out, or even if you haven't, this album is for fans of all music -- fans who appreciate simplistic and dark music.
the fuckkkkkkk? how is this album not above an 85? i don't even like Bright Eyes that much, and i know this is one of the greatest albums of the past ten years. the lyrics being below an 8.5 is just a crime.
okay. my first comment, i just looked at the ratings. but the second time, i actually read the review. and you have no fucking idea what you're talking about. comparing Bright Eyes to Number Twelve Looks Like You or the Blood Brothers is absolutely ludicrous, and i still have yet to see any political lyrics in "At the Bottom of Everything" let alone lyrics that "are so left wing, they'd make Pelosi blush."
my advice? keep on reviewing your metalcore bands and stay out of the indie folk.
He tried so hard to make this sound like See You Next Tuesday didn't he? I hear his account was banned for like a week and now he's back. Why?!?!?!?!?!?! I live in the same town as that pretentious douche... he attempted to key my car for saying BMTH licked goat ass a while back. Fortunately I caught him before he could touch his keys to my car.
okay. my first comment, i just looked at the ratings. but the second time, i actually read the review. and you have no fucking idea what you're talking about. comparing Bright Eyes to Number Twelve Looks Like You or the Blood Brothers is absolutely ludicrous, and i still have yet to see any political lyrics in "At the Bottom of Everything" let alone lyrics that "are so left wing, they'd make Pelosi blush."
my advice? keep on reviewing your metalcore bands and stay out of the indie folk.
If you read carfully, he's contrasting the three... so... that kinda discredited your post. And when I'm a neautral party for this assface, it means something's not right....HOLY SHIT I MUST HAVE BEEN CASTRATED!!!
Jeremy!!! Did youaccept this? Either that or Blake because he's jsut cynical enough to know this would get shit on for it's (yes, it is) blasphemy but not too cynical to accept something like "WOOO!!! Attack Attacxxxkxxkxkx rulexxzzzxzxzxzxzxzxzxz meehehehehehhhhh beyyttchesss... They'zeee beezinnggg sohohohohohoooox xorigiNALx withhhzzzssh the wayZ ThEY COmbinE screamoozozzozozozoz and TEKKKNOXXXZZZ TOGEther To MAKe ShitTY musiczzxzzxzxz"
While the album brings in some indie-pop and even some metal flavor, it doesn't scream originality the way Fear Before the March of Flames, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, or even The Blood Brothers do/did
Bright Eyes doesn't bring any metal flavor. Also,
Bright Eyes >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>The Number Twelve, Blood Brothers, and Fear Before (BE is not only better musically but far more original and creative).
Conor's easily one of the best lyricists in music, this album's one of his strongest lyrically, I'd probably have scored it a 9.
what a turd burglar. You should have beat his ass. I don't care how much you dislike somebody who don't key peoples cars. It's just so damn low
Unfortuantely he's the fastest shit ever. I tried getting him in trouble for it, but I couldn't because he didn't actually do anything. He claims that he was jsut gonna taunt me, but considering that he hangs out with (look up Dot Dot Curve on the interent, and then add 3 scene points and he's the finished product) every "BadAsszzz" scene kid ever who thinks calling people who hate ADTR posers, I highly doubt he was telling the truth. People like him sicken me to no end.
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