Bright Eyes: The People’s Key (Saddle Creek)
Dylan comparisons and rootsy folk music be damned: Conor Oberst aka Bright Eyes just wants to do his own thing. And at the grand old age of 31 (he was already feted when he was a mere 22 year old), Conor just does that.
He rocks out on ‘Jejune Stars’ and ‘Triple Spiral’; goes almost Keane-esque on ‘Shell Game’ and ‘One for You, One for Me’; and shows some experimental cojones in the 7-minute opener ‘Firewall’, featuring Refried Ice Cream frontman Denny Brewer talking at length about aliens.
LISTEN TO: ‘Triple Spiral’
IF YOU LIKE THIS YOU’LL DIG: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Monsters of Folk
RATING: 3
Text: Christopher Ujine Ong
More Conor at www.myspace.com/brighteyes.