Bright
4.5 stars
Bright Eyes have amassed quite a cult following, and their latest release, Cassadaga, should satisfy every fan they’ve earned. This album is brilliant, and anyone who has never heard of Bright Eyes owes it to him or herself to give it a listen. Singer/songwriter Conor Oberst is perhaps the best lyricist in indie music today. Oberst is the only songwriter I would feel comfortable with putting in the same sentence as Bob Dylan. There, I just did it.
Cassadaga is a spiritualist camp in Central Florida. The opening tracks says, “Cassadaga might be a premonition of a place you’re going to visit.” The themes of travel, wandering, uncertainty, and exploration are prevalent throughout the record. Vagabonds aren’t the only ones who will relate, though. Critics of monotheism have their time: “The Bible is blind. The Torah is deaf. The Qur’an is mute. If you burned them all together you’d get close to the truth.” “Classic Cars” is a great track about a struggling artist coming to terms with his life and work. “Cleanse Song” offers just the right imagery for someone trying to cope with a post-9/11 world. “No One Would Riot for Less” ponders a soldier’s mortality. My favorite track on the record, “Soul Singer in a Session Band,” is full of heartwrenching and brilliant imagery about a washed-up performer.
Though the lyrics are what make this album excellent, the music is very good, too. Band member Nate Walcott arranged some great orchestra parts, and for the most part, the updated-for-the-21st-century folk music is solid. Every track on this album is a work of art. Cassadaga is not to be missed.
Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic