By Michael Palecki
Shortly after Conor Oberst and his band Bright Eyes released their breakthrough album I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning in 2005, a larger musical audience began to take notice. As the recording moved into the Top 20 of Billboard album charts, it also brought attention to the independent label Saddle Creek Records and Alternative Country/ “Indie” Folk Music.
There was also quite a bit of critical acclaim and a lot of chatter about Emmylou Harris singing duets with Oberst. On first listening, his long wordy stanzas seemed almost impossible to sing, but he pulled them off with perfectly syncopated vocal articulation.
His song writing themes were fraught with emotional angst, isolation and the fragility of life. Just about the time all but the most hardcore listeners had enough of darkness, the next song would be a jaunty Country Rock jam reminiscent of a young Joe Walsh.
For the most part however, Oberst remained true to what set him apart. During an NPR music interview for the radio program All Things Considered, Oberst commented, “Sometimes when you’re not feeling good, you have to listen to really sad music like Eliot Smith. He wrote some of the sweetest, saddest and most gentle tunes, I have ever heard”.
In the music business, there were others in addition to Emmylou Harris that gravitated to Oberst. Bright Eyes collaborated on separate projects with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Steve Earle. Oberst credits his early influences to Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, and coming full circle-to Emmylou Harris.
Although the 2007 Bright Eyes album Cassadaga was a bit over the top in orchestration and dramatic intensity, Oberst returned to his roots in 2008 with an exact opposite solo album. For that effort in his newfound apparition of the Mystic Valley Band, Conor Oberst was named, “Best Songwriter of 2008” by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Looking back at Cassadaga in a recent Rolling Stone Magazine interview, the enigmatic Conor Oberst disclosed, “That one felt like it was left in the oven too long”. For his reunion with Bright Eyes and songwriting for their new album just released, Oberst suggested to his band mates, “Let’s leave space”.
And that they did. In their new CD The People’s Key, Bright Eyes ventures back to a quasi-Punk sound with plenty of electric guitar and synthesizer. Although the truly Oberst quixotic departures in songwriting remain in place, Bright Eyes has moved away from melancholy into techno-pop. The song “Triple Spiral”, which is destined to become a hit single-is a rousing dance anthem.
Bright Eyes will perform on Tuesday April 12 at the Fox Theater in Oakland. While general admission standing room tickets are sold out, some reserved seats are available in the balcony. Don’t miss Oberst singing, “In with the new! Out with the old”! - presented by Another Planet Entertainment.
To purchase tickets, go to: www.thefoxoakland.com/calendar.php or Ticketmaster.
Shortly after Conor Oberst and his band Bright Eyes released their breakthrough album I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning in 2005, a larger musical audience began to take notice. As the recording moved into the Top 20 of Billboard album charts, it also brought attention to the independent label Saddle Creek Records and Alternative Country/ “Indie” Folk Music.
There was also quite a bit of critical acclaim and a lot of chatter about Emmylou Harris singing duets with Oberst. On first listening, his long wordy stanzas seemed almost impossible to sing, but he pulled them off with perfectly syncopated vocal articulation.
His song writing themes were fraught with emotional angst, isolation and the fragility of life. Just about the time all but the most hardcore listeners had enough of darkness, the next song would be a jaunty Country Rock jam reminiscent of a young Joe Walsh.
For the most part however, Oberst remained true to what set him apart. During an NPR music interview for the radio program All Things Considered, Oberst commented, “Sometimes when you’re not feeling good, you have to listen to really sad music like Eliot Smith. He wrote some of the sweetest, saddest and most gentle tunes, I have ever heard”.
In the music business, there were others in addition to Emmylou Harris that gravitated to Oberst. Bright Eyes collaborated on separate projects with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Steve Earle. Oberst credits his early influences to Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, and coming full circle-to Emmylou Harris.
Although the 2007 Bright Eyes album Cassadaga was a bit over the top in orchestration and dramatic intensity, Oberst returned to his roots in 2008 with an exact opposite solo album. For that effort in his newfound apparition of the Mystic Valley Band, Conor Oberst was named, “Best Songwriter of 2008” by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Looking back at Cassadaga in a recent Rolling Stone Magazine interview, the enigmatic Conor Oberst disclosed, “That one felt like it was left in the oven too long”. For his reunion with Bright Eyes and songwriting for their new album just released, Oberst suggested to his band mates, “Let’s leave space”.
And that they did. In their new CD The People’s Key, Bright Eyes ventures back to a quasi-Punk sound with plenty of electric guitar and synthesizer. Although the truly Oberst quixotic departures in songwriting remain in place, Bright Eyes has moved away from melancholy into techno-pop. The song “Triple Spiral”, which is destined to become a hit single-is a rousing dance anthem.
Bright Eyes will perform on Tuesday April 12 at the Fox Theater in Oakland. While general admission standing room tickets are sold out, some reserved seats are available in the balcony. Don’t miss Oberst singing, “In with the new! Out with the old”! - presented by Another Planet Entertainment.
To purchase tickets, go to: www.thefoxoakland.com/calendar.php or Ticketmaster.
Hey you have very cool music in here, i like your blog
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