CD’s I am Diggin’ Right Now is an occasionally occurring series where I casually highlight some discs (new and old) that I think you might like, without boring you with an overly-wordy, metaphor-filled “review” that I often like to bestow upon some other discs.
I have dabbled a bit in the Bright Eyes catalog in the past. Sometimes I find the work to be a tad on the whiny, self-loathing side and other times I find it to be quite good. With 2008′s Conor Oberst release, I feel like I finally actually give a crap about the guy. He has reached mainstream success but hasn’t fully exploded into household-name status. The self-titled album has a loose feel and is likely Oberst’s most accessible work to date. Tracks such as “Moab”, “NYC – Gone, Gone” and “Souled Out!!!” display a spunk and a willingness to goof-off a considerable amount more than in past Oberst/Bright Eyes releases.
When the disc was released a few months ago, much was made about the rudimentary and even out-dated methods that were employed during the recording process. Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band headed south to Mexico to record this album as well as its follow-up, Outer South. A documentary on the unorthodox recording sessions was recently released and can be streamed for free on Oberst’s website.
2 Responses
Kelly, I agree and I’m glad to see Conor getting some love in an alt.country/americana blog. His Bright Eyes record “I’m Still Awake It’s Morning” is nestled snugly into my alt.country canon, right between “Trace” and “Strangers Almanac”. He does get a bit whiny/needy at times, but just like Jason Kidd, his glaring strengths greatly outweigh his glaring weaknesses.
well, fitting it in between those discs is pretty high-praise…now, tell me you put it next to Anodyne, and we might disagree a bit
..i didnt give the “awake” record near the attention i shouldve, so I think i’ll put that on my list, sir…good kidd analogy, btw.