79 replies to this topic

[UselessRocker]

Despite the lack of Scott Hall references, I really like "Souled Out!!!" a lot. This is a pretty good sign for a record. Everyone's been naming their favorite songs on it and we're all naming different songs.

[Zveldzorg]

what a great album. for me, the last bright eyes was a huge letdown. this seems like a much better vision and follow up to i'm wide awake. milk thistle alone is worth it

[Easily Fooled]

while i dont necessarily agree with the disappointment in cassadaga, this album is definitely a step up. i love what he is doing here, especially danny callahan, eagle on a pole and milk thistle.

[chingram]

while i dont necessarily agree with the disappointment in cassadaga, this album is definitely a step up. i love what he is doing here, especially danny callahan, eagle on a pole and milk thistle.

i have to agree with you easily...i didn't think cassadaga was that terrible. but he's trying to define his moments here, very dylan. don't know if that's a bad thing,
but def thinkin he's trying to steer towards a clear direction instead of being a little bit more exploratory like previous efforts...

[Easily Fooled]

good shit bump for more dialogue

[Hans Christian Anderson]

He seems to have toned down the hysterics and settled into a mid/late 70s Dylan vibe that suits him well.

exactly why i thought cassadaga was his best record (and i think i'm wide awake is a real good record). i look forward to hearing this, but i'm in no rush really.

[Dread]

I think I might be the only Bright Eyes fan alive that thinks Digital Ash was far better than I'm Wide Awake, that I'm Wide Awake wasn't the best album of his career and really wasn't all that great to begin with, and Cassadaga was a solid marriage of all previous efforts, including Digital Ash (slick production, some fairly straightforward song structures). I really think both Digital Ash and Cassadaga are largely underappreciated though. Still haven't listened to this yet, which surprises me. I gotta get on it...

[idolatry]

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single Bright Eyes song which isn't more or less traditionally structured. I'm no completist, though, so maybe I'm just unaware of his seldom-heard avant-garde phase, or something...

[Dread]

I knew using that term would get my words knocked back to me, so perhaps I used the wrong term there. Digital Ash and a large amount of Cassadaga's songs are fairly digestible and easy to get into though. That's probably more accurate. They seem made to reach a wider general audience, or something. I can't say anything prior to Digital Ash or I'm Wide Awake can be looked at that way.

[chingram]

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single Bright Eyes song which isn't more or less traditionally structured.

I'm no completist, though, so maybe I'm just unaware of his seldom-heard avant-garde phase, or something...

the strange chord progression on lime tree from cassadaga was a highlight for me. avant-garde might sum it up...

[Mike Schank]

I can't recall the last album where I enjoyed the first 3 songs so much

[Alky 2009]

Haven't heard this, but after how great Cassadaga is, I'm really looking forward to it. I don't understand why Cassadaga isn't appreciated more than it seems to be, Dread and HCA both make solid points (especially it being a nice summation of his work to date).

I think I'd rank his albums like this...

Cassadaga
Lifted... or The Story is in the Soil
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Fevers and Mirrors
Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Letting Off the Happiness

(not gonna include A Collection of Songs...)

With a few exceptions, Conor really seems like that rare artist that continually seems to be improving as a songwriter.

[Hewletts Daughter]

You'll like this disc, Alky. I just know these things. And yeah, the first three tracks are absolutely killer. 'Sausalito' is probably the highlight of the disc, but really, this whole thing is a nice package of tuneskies. Definitely very pleased with this on a whole.

[BRANDON BOYD FROM INCUBUS]

i'm going to listen to digital ash again at work today because of this thread, but i'm pretty sure it's still his worst album, save a few bright spots like that symmetry song, and arc of time. down a rabbit hole is just unlistenable.

[Hewletts Daughter]

I'm glad he made Digital Ash mainly because of the fact he released it alongside what is arguably his best album. Had he released it by itself, that would have been pretty rough. Would have left a real sour taste in my mouth. Thankfully, I'm Wide Awake... sort of eclipses that albums mere existence.

[Hewletts Daughter]

Despite the lack of Scott Hall references, I really like "Souled Out!!!"

I didn't want this comment to fall on deaf ears.

I found this to be a comment I could relate to.

[chingram]

I'm glad he made Digital Ash mainly because of the fact he released it alongside what is arguably his best album. Had he released it by itself, that would have been pretty rough. Would have left a real sour taste in my mouth. Thankfully, I'm Wide Awake... sort of eclipses that albums mere existence.

digital ash wasn't terrible, but it helped that he released a dual effort...kind of like splitting paths, and glad he's chosen the more folk route.

[The Luscious Phil]

I think Cape Canaveral is my favorite Conor song. By far.

[UselessRocker]

This is gonna come across as stupid music-critic talk, but it's refreshing when someone just puts out a record of good tunes. There's not a lot of bells and whistles on this. Sometimes I think Conor's tried too hard to make his records interesting by throwing stuff onto his songs and a lot of the time, it's been unnecessary. Lifted still has the single most annoying fucking introduction on any album I've ever heard. Or he's tried to write lyrics that seemed to have an edge or a "cleverness" to them. He seems relaxed here. He doesn't come across like he's trying to impress anyone.

[August West]

Wow, I'm a big fan of this album. Strangely, this is the first of his records I've actually liked all the way through. Wide Awake and Cassadaga I kind of enjoyed, but his earlier stuff always made me want to seek him out and beat his ass. That said, this is one of the best albums of year. I take it all back, Conor.