Bright Eyes- Lifted or The Story is in the Soil Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Connor Oberst (the only permanent member of Bright Eyes)- Guitar, Vocals
Released 2002 on [URL=http://www.saddle-creek.com/ ]
Saddle Creek Records [/URL]
This album is a great Indie/Folk Rock album. The most professional of Obersts' work. With great highlights such as False Advertisement, Bowl of Oranges, From a Balance Beam, and Let's Not **** Ourselves (To Love and to be Loved). These are just for starters. Note: Click on the Saddle Creek Records link to check out the label, and the link for "From a Balance Beam," and "Lover I don't have to Love," to check out the entire songs.
Positives:This album is stockpiled full of melody, diversity, soulful lyrics and/or vocals, and energy. A must-have for any Bright Eyes fan. I recommend this album to anyone. But this song isn't only lyrically/vocally driven, the instrumentals are what makes this album great. With many catchy guitar riffs, melodic string and woodwind instruments. Keyboard and piano pieces are in other songs too. What separates this from other albums is that the music is dark, deep, and troublesome, it comes across more upbeat.
Negatives: The diversity in the music makes the genre impossible to pinpoint. The album has a few downfalls, such as The Big Picture, Don't Know When But a Day is Gonna Come, and Waste of Paint. But not bland enough to bring down the album.
1.
The Big Picture- This song is long, slow, and repetitive, not exactly a favorite of mine. Not only repetitive in vocals but also in instrumentals. I find pieces repeated entirely throughout the song. No progression. Boring. But not bad enough to keep me away from listening to this album. Even though I find this song a bore, the lyrics redeem this song of anything I have to say about it. This song seems to have multiple meanings, for one, not to allow things (namely popular opinion) to keep us from speaking our mind. And also how it's best not to understand life but to just live it. Ignorance isn't bliss being another, take responsibility for your actions. 3.5/5.
2.
Method Acting- This Song has a poetic and dark spanish music feel. The tone is perfected with a mandolin, trumpets, and soft, ghost like back up vocals. A more mature, poetic number by Oberst. 3/5.
3.
False Advertising- This song is one of a handful of songs that make this album diverse. It has an old vintage feel to it, almost like you'd hear it at some ballroom dance. Very cool backup vocals with soft lead vocals. Smooth string instrumentals contribute a great deal to this songs' feel. A song one can sort of relax and listen to. 4/5
4.
You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will- Upon listening I think one thing, this is what track 1 could've been. This has much better instrumentals (with a simple guitar piece), although repeated, it has no repetitive feel. I love how this song picks up but doesn't get out of control like other songs. I interpret this song as a song about taking someone you care about for granted. 4/5
5.
[URL=http://www.saddle-creek.com/sounds/BrightEyes_Lover.mp3]Lover I don't have to Love[/URL] - Great intro. Hard to explain the song in general. Good beats, cool keyboard riff, nice strings. But somewhat mediocre compared to other songs. This number is about the joys of banging hookers. A highlight is that this is an addition to the number of songs that add to the album's diversity. But don't take my word for it, check out the link. 2.5/5.
6.
Bowl of Oranges - Although seems slow, it has a rockin' feel with an upbeat piano piece and uplifting lyrics and/or vocals. A definite highlight of the album. This song seems to be about the wonders optimism can do.3.5/5
7.
Don't Know When But a Day is Gonna Come- Starts off slow, but eventually progresses. Even with the progression, it still feels like the song drags on, and it does. The instrumentals seem bland. Once again, a musically bland song redeems itself with strong meaning. About how popular opinion is supposedly correct, but doesn't really need any explaining, also how right may just as well be wrong. 3/5
8.
Nothing Gets Crossed Out - Another track that starts off slow with soft vocals and acoustic guitar. A nice touch with the duet (male and female) vocals. It eventually transforms into a melodic song with full vocals. But seems to fall short of it's potential. Of course another piece about heartbreak, and the damage it does.3.5/5
9.
Make War - This song is a great song. It pulls off the country feel. What made it acceptable was Obersts' great young voice and the sweet solo. I love the change of instrumentals (slide guitar, harmonica, banjo?). 4/5
10.
Waste of Paint- This song was acceptable to begin with. The guitar riff seemed catchy. But eventually got repetitive and dragged on. 2/5
11. [URL=http://www.saddle-creek.com/sounds/BrightEyes_FromABalanceBeam.mp3]
From a Balance Beam[/URL] - This song is a great highlight of the album. A great diversity of instrumentals. Very melodic and somewhat upbeat. The flutes may have been the greatest things about this song. Very poetic like many other pieces of Obersts' pieces of work. 4/5
12.
Laura Laurent - Another country feeling track, except this one has a lot more melody. Very beautful. Goes out on some great drunken choir vocals. 3.5/5
13.
Let's Not **** Ourselves (To Love and To Be Loved) - A great song to go off on. This track alone is enough for me to buy it. Starts off with a great guitar riff and fast tempo with beautiful lyrics and/or vocals. The best folk rock song if I've ever heard one. Filled with energy that just explodes at the end. Although this song is upbeat, it's very saddening with the accounts of the tragedies of modern day life. 5/5.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Although has some sub-par material still holds up well as a whole, a must buy for any Bright Eyes fan.
Twenty points for you.
