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 Cassadaga
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| On their sixth and most straightforwardly clean album, Nebraska's Bright Eyes once again integrate a revolving cast of players to the mix, including Portland tunesmith M. Ward and alt-country queen Gillian Welch. But the band remains at the helm of forever-wunderkind Conor Oberst, and the fruitful songwriter has one-upped 2005's I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning with a proficient and accessible ensemble of expansive pop orchestrations and ornate folk songs that chronicle his traverses across the American panorama. Oberst's voice quakes and wanders through South Dakota lore and Sunshine State chicanery, always the perfect vehicle for his threadbare lyrics. "Take the fruit from the tree/Break the skin with your teeth/Is it bitter or sweet/All depends on your timing," he forewarns in "Cleanse Song," a psychedelic merry-go-round of a soundtrack that joins the Scottish-tinged "Soul Singer in a Session Band" and singalong single "Four Winds" as Cassadaga's finest. The 13-song-record is certain to open more doors for a band whose recognition has soared with every release since Oberst was just 14. --Scott Holter Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
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Author: Guest
For a good couple of years, I've heard a lot of hype about Bright Eyes (essentially Conor Oberst) and how fantastic they(he) were (was). I had never purchased, nor listened to an album by Bright Eyes, so I couldn't pass judgement because of a lack of knowledge. I got a few promotional downloads from Bright Eyes's 2005 releases (DIGITAL ASH IN A DIGITAL URN & I'M WIDE AWAKE, IT'S MORNING), and I was only slightly impressed. I never heard the complete album of either, but I read a number of mixed reviews. It made me apprehensive to give the so penned "singer-songwriter of the future" a real chance. However, after reading generally favorable reviews of 27-year old Oberst's latest Bright Eyes project, CASSADAGA, I couldn't resist the temptation to purchase the reasonably price album and determined if I was a Bright Eyes fan or not. Honestly, CASSADAGA really impressed me and made me a believer in what Oberst pens in his lyrics and sings vocally. Sure, he isn't the best singer, but neither is Bob Dylan, but his lyrics are quite telling and perhaps that's what most important in a singer-songwriter.
The album opens up with the incredibly mysterious orchestration of "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)". The mysterious mood lingers for a couple of minutes into the track before Oberst ever sings a note or the song establishes a groove. Once you fight past all the oddities, the "meat" of the track is worth the wait. The hook, is certainly tuneful, with the central message being "kill or be killed". Oberst's lyrics are taut,confident, and telling. Sure, "Clairaudients" odd string crescendos and "unruly" harmonies are a bit hard to grasp, but "Clairaudients" proves to be an exceptional opener, and paves the way for the even better proceeding track, "Four Winds".
"Four Winds" sounds like it could've been feature on a country-traditionalist album with its "fiddle" laced production work, and it's inherent bluesy feel. Oberst pulls this track off better than "Clairaudients". No, he isn't vocally the strongest singer, but his lyrics and the exceptional songwriting make up for any slack where vocal perfection is concerned. The hook here is incredibly catchy and coupled with the infectious fiddle riffs, "Four Winds" is definitely one of 2007's best tracks. "If The Brakeman Turns My Way" begins with Oberst only accompanied with acoustic piano, and then sparse organ, pedal steel, and bass lines lead into a full-on drum groove. It proves to be another killer track. The lyrics are as strong as ever and everything seems to be settled into a groove. The background vocals add a nice touch during the chorus, proving how versatile Oberst is as a songwriter and musician.
"Hot Knives" is perhaps my favorite from CASSADAGA. The songwriting is top notch, where Oberst apparently channels a female character. The guitar work here is fabulous, and one can't forget the power of the lyrics ("the son of God, hanging like a common criminal" or the blunt "So I've made love, yeah, I've been f**ked"). Which ever obscure lyric is chosen, it is masterful, which in makes "Hot Knives" one of the strongest performances of CASSADAGA. "Make A Plan To Love" continues the line of hits, with beautiful background vocals (including Rachel Yamagata among others)and simple, but yet complex production (Oberst wants you to make inferences). "Soul Singer In A Session Band" and "Classic Cars" also prove strong, as does "Middleman", in which more country influence shows.
The last couple of numbers ("Cleanse Song", "No One Would Riot for Less", "Coat Check Dream Song", "I Must Belong Somewhere" and "Lime Tree") are fine, but not as strong as the first eight tracks. "Coat Check Dream Song" is perhaps the strongest of the last five, even though it doesn't quite rival say "Hot Knives". Despite a slight fall off of the end of the album, Bright Eyes has clearly proved his point to me that he just might possibly be the "Bob Dylan" of the new generation. He is a great lyricist and musician, and he isn't a terrible vocalist, if not the greatest. This album isn't perfect, but for the most part it is right on point for me. 4 stars, Conor!
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Author: Guest
Just think this is a wonderful collection of music. New territory for Oberst, but still feels important lyrically. Albums like this are why we listen to music. "Soul Singer..." is the only weak track.
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Author: Guest
..you just cant pin this boy down. Sure we can reassure ourselves with the Dylan and Sprinsteen references, but he's more than that, he's all his own sound and glory (ahem..anyway...) Ya all that maybe a little Leonard Cohen too while we are riding that train, maybe a little (just a little) John Lennon (ya I went there, listen again and tell me I aint right) Anyway good stuff and more on the horizen Im sure....
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Author: Guest
Connor Oberst, the main creative force behind Bright Eyes, has been referred to in the past as some sort of a "wunderkind", among others because of his prolific musical writing, from an early age on. But guess what, that wunderkind is in the meantime now 27 years old. After the somewhat disjointing simultaneous release in 2005 of the "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" and "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn" albums, now comes the eargerly awaited follow-up album.
"Cassadaga" (13 tracks, 62 min.) brings a more polished, can I even say more mature, sound of the band and as a result the best album yet of Bright Eyes. The opening track "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)" starts off, and eventually ends, with disjointed telephone conversations, and in between Oberst starts spinning tales of Americana. The track reminds me in spirit of Wilco's opening track on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot "I am Trying to Break Your Heart". It is followed by a a joyous "Four Winds", with a happy fiddle to boot, and a boisterous "If the Brakeman Turns My Way", and a rocking "Hot Knives", it even sounds like Conor is having fun! "Soul Singer In a Session Band" could make for a great radio single, if mainstream radio would ever consider spinning Bright Eyes, which of course they do not (but that's another story). "No One Would Riot For Less" is a great introspective tune, and for whatever reason it reminded me of Steve Harley (he of the 1970s UK band Cockney Rebel), just beautiful. "I Must Belong Somewhere" is the only song that I thought didn't work too well, for one thing it is just too wordy, but it is followed by the beautiful closer "Lime Tree" (featuring backing vocals from Eisley's Shelly and Stacey DuPree).
In all, this is a really great album, and in my book the best yet from Bright Eyes. I will be catching Bright Eyes on tour next month and I can't wait how these songs will translate in a live setting. "Cassadaga" is highly recommended!
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Author: Guest
Come on, you've seen him, haven't you? That guy Conor Oberst from that band you think you've heard of, Bright Eyes? The one with the jet black emo-slanted hair and the nervous flit-eyed demeanor that humble music stars always seem to have? Yeah, you probably have heard of him. And if you haven't, now is the time to find out.
Oberst, who goes by the band name Bright Eyes, has been the only constant member of the group since its debut in 1998 - and with good reason; without him, the band would literally be nothing. Guitarist, songwriter, singer, poet, modern genius, boy prodigy (he started recording when he was 13), the list goes on. And with Cassadaga, the band's seventh studio album, he cements himself as a still very promising artist, even with his astounding proliferation at the ripe old age of 27. Let's just say that anybody, be they loving of indie, emo, alternative, country, folk, or anything else, will find a gem in at least one of these songs, and to the well-rounded person, the whole album will be something to rave about.
The album starts with a sort of fractured spoken word monologue on the atmospheric "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)", the first track and mood-setter for the entire album. Next is "Four Winds", the most well-known single from the album so far. It shows that Oberst can swagger-stagger through a majestically organized country-orchestra tune without compromising his integrity, that same integrity that we have all come to know and love, with lyrics like "Your class, your caste, your country, sect, your name or your tribe / There are people always dying trying to keep them alive" and "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". And if you've seen the music video for the song, you can deduce that Oberst has been compared in looks, music, and style to everyone from a young Neil Young to an electric Bob Dylan to a thin Jack White. But that's the beauty of Oberst: he can be compared to a countless amount of people, but nobody will ever be able to be compared to him.
The album spins onward with brilliant track after brilliant track, highlights being the vow-keeping "Cleanse Song", the uncharacteristically optimistic "I Must Belong Somewhere", and the beautiful "Lime Tree". The albums end with "Lime Tree", lyrics that seem to show a rebirth within Oberst as he finishes ("I took off my shoes and walked into the woods / I felt lost and found with every step I took"). And that's just as well; in the making of the album, he quit abusing drugs and instead found a happy medium within his music - something that his fans are all very happy to hear about.
After a bout of albums and songs that had thrown him into the indie-loving limelight a few years ago (namely the excellent doubly-released albums Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning), Oberst still shows that he can return, and remain loyal to, his alt-folk roots and twanging torture-tremble of a voice. And there are two things, whether you like it or not, that are certain about Bright Eyes as a whole: one, that their music is a genre unto itself, nearly indescribable; and two, as much as you might hate to admit it, Conor Oberst - that whiny man with the quivering voice and the rail-thin emo build - yes, that man - has a whole lot of talent to supply.
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