In Bright Eyes' recent release, "Cassadaga," the critically acclaimed Conor Oberst develops his unique songwriting skills into another album full of soulful tunes with heartfelt lyrics. The diverse instrumentation and numerous contributions from other guest artists in the indie scene add panache to the production of his newest LP. The increasingly popular rock piece from Omaha, Neb. is back with an ever-evolving musical style that reaches new levels of maturity.
In the past two years, Bright Eyes has kept busy between the multiple studio releases and heavy touring schedule. In early 2005, the band came out with two full length albums, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" and "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn," pushing front man Oberst back into the national spotlight.
"Cassadaga" incorporates elements from his two previous records, establishing an interesting middle ground between the folksy sound of "I'm Wide Awake" and the layers of instrumentation explored in "Digital Ash." While Oberst began his career writing very gloomy material about depression and alienation, his most recent work has a much lighter and more uplifting feel, hinting that he has either grown up or finally decided to get a prescription of Prozac.
Recently, the indie-rocker has grown increasingly political, by speaking out publicly against the Bush administration and using his discontent with the general direction of the country as inspiration for his lyrics. During the 2004 election, Bright Eyes was one of the featured bands on the "Vote for Change" tour, sponsored by Moveon.org. Throughout his career, Oberst has written several songs aimed directly at George W. Bush's conservative social and economic policies, including "When the President Talks to God."
Nonetheless, the young musician has a way with words that goes beyond merely bashing the unpopular president. His polemic lyrics are belted out with sardonic cynicism and wit, which will please any listener with a dry sense of humor. Oberst's complex use of symbols, metaphors and alliteration adds a poetic touch to his texts, even though his words sometimes sound picked out of a rhyming dictionary. In many of his songs, he assumes the role of storyteller, making his albums easy and fun to listen to, despite their charged content.
"Cassadaga" explores themes of war, religion and love, which are recurrent in much of Bright Eyes' music. Since the invasion of Iraq, Oberst has used his albums as platforms for his pro-peace message. In "I Must Belong Somewhere," he says "Leave the death ledger under city hall [...] Leave the hawks of war in their capitals," two injunctions against war that clearly hold politicians accountable. "No One Would Riot for Less" is a protest song decrying the rising death toll linked to the government's disastrous foreign policy. Bright Eyes lyrics discuss other aspects of current affairs such as global warming, the rise of the religious right, and the ongoing culture wars that have divided the country.
Oberst may be explicit at times, but he neither dwells on politics for too long nor comes off as preachy. The new album has introspective, yet light lyrics that provide relief from the seriousness of some of the tracks. "Make a Plan to Love Me" is a charming love song on par with "First Day of My Life" off of "I'm Wide Awake."
Bright Eyes constantly switches up their instrumentation, but most of their songs usually have organs, keyboards, strings and a wide variety of percussions and guitars. Mike Mogis, co-founder of Saddle Creek Records and permanent member of the band, plays pedal steel and guitar, among numerous other instruments. The diverse arrangements give the album a unique quality that makes it difficult to classify into a single genre. Country twang, folksy vocals and indie rock come together into a pleasant mix that is truly its own original style.
The long list of guest contributors on "Cassadaga," ranging from Maria Taylor to Ben Kweller, help deliver the catchy hooks and melodies. On "Make a Plan to Love Me," Sherri and Stacey DuPree from Eisley dish out a slew of high pitched vocals during the chorus. In "Soul Singer in a Session Band," M. Ward's raspy voice complements Oberst's very well.
Bright Eyes' latest work demonstrates his impressive songwriting abilities, offering a whole new set of interesting songs. Conor Oberst's folk roots and storytelling lyrics that comment on American culture make him the Bob Dylan of this generation.
