I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning | Bright Eyes | Softer side of a double release...

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning | Bright Eyes | Bright Eyes Opened My Eyes

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I'm Wide Awake, It...

	I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning Bright Eyes Saddle Creek, 2005 average customer review:based on 228 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst continues to earn his reputation as our most respected young troubadour with almost frightening ease. For the past few years he's been tagged "rock's boy genius" by the music press. These albums are a soundly articulated slice of modern life rolled into two very different records, both bursting with all the heartfelt poetry for which Bright Eyes' records have earned their acclaim. Of course, the rough edges haven't gone away - the palpitation of a splintering note, the crack of a voice as it overextends, the clumsy thump of a misplaced thumb. It's all still there. But there's a glorious new level of depth, a maturation of texture, writing and delivery. His best work yet.

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Softer side of a double release...

So Bright Eyes decided to release two albums at once, one being this one and the other being Digital Ash and Digital Urn. Wide Awake is much more folky/country like and Digital Ash is far more electronic. Now the lyrics are there on both albums, but Wide Awake, takes the cake.
There are often times when I am challenge on which Bright Eyes album I love more, Wide Awake, or Lifted, and really it depends on the mood.
The album opens right from the get go with a little story, sets the mood with melancholy and sadness, but then near the end of the story, a guitar comes in with a more upbeat riff and really hits the album well.
The lyrics then of the first track sing about our need as a society to stand up to the evils and continue singing, even when there is not much hope. Then the album goes on and eventually comes to "The First Day of My Life", one of the most beautiful melodies that ever came out of the United States I might say.
Then finally, the album really ends strong with this great rally cry for the younger generations. This is really a classic album and deserves to be really listened to, all the way, and loud, and if you can hang, on vinyl as well.
This is on my list of top ten greatest indie albums. Some people may not agree with me (Pavement and Sonic Youth fans), but to me, indie rock really hit it's greatest point with bands like Bright Eyes, the Mountain Goats, and Neutral Milk Hotel.

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Bright Eyes Opened My Eyes

I didn't really know anything about Bright Eyes or Conor Oberst when I ordered this CD. I ordered it because I read about the song "I am nowhere, and it's now" and listened to it on youtube. Oberst's voice really struck me as raw and exposed and vulnerable, while the harmonies by the ethereal EmmyLou Harris weaved in and out of the song seemlessly...That, coupled with the review that I read on this site, sealed the deal for me and I had to order it. Since receiving this CD, it has not left my CD player...it's terrific and I'm loving it. The stories that Oberst tells lend themselves perfectly to the vulnerability in his voice and the music is clever and wonderful. This album is brilliant and I have already recommended it to friends!

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Beautiful

All of conor obersts music is genius but this seems to be the crowd favorite.
and it has every right to be the best bright eyes album.
These songs are brilliant pieces of poetry sang by a poet and music played by amazing musicians.
guest vocals by emmy lou harris make a splendid appearance and songs like Lua First day of my life and Landlocked Blues show how touching and emotionally powerful this album truely is.
It is one of the best albums ive ever heard.

No questions asked you must buy it. i promise you will like it.

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Interesting

I discovered Bright Eyes after I was informed there was a video my boyfriend liked and had taped it off of Logo. A dreamy little acoustic ballad called "First Day Of My Life" it quickly became our song, and I ran out to buy the CD.

As I began some research I discovered I was probably the only person who hadn't heard of Bright Eyes as he was deemed some kind of indie musical genius around the time of this album's release, being compared to Dylan and the like, and always being known as having recorded since the age of 13, Conor Oberst, the man behind Bright Eyes (it's just him and a revolving door of musicians) released this album in early 2005.

A set of acoutstically driven sometime country flavored songs, its ten songs of wordy poetics and longing - my favorite things. With Emmylou Harris showing up for some harmony there's a lot to really gather in these ditties - "Another Travelin' Song" reminds me of some Dylan while the awesome words of "Poison Oak" and the drama of "At The Bottom Of Everything" reminds me of old story songs of the 60s and the cool calm collective of people like Joni Mitchell and Emmylou. It's an interesting little bit of musical poetry for sure.

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Predictably good, Predictably not great

I would hate to call what Oberst does shtick. He obviously has talent, and has obviously been refining his technique to allow a broader audience without compromising his sound...in fact, not compromising it enough. Let's not overstate his songwriting abilities- they are keenly aware of taking traditional roots-rock forms and injecting edgy minor progressions, hardly more. Good move on his part then, to provide counterpoint with more electronic-based dabblings the same time as this release. He still has a ways to go writing that masterpiece everyone suspects he is capable of, hinting with a few of his most solidly strummed songs yet. Yet the whole album suffers from typical embedded mediocrity inherent throughout much of his predictable techniques (perhaps many forget this with the powerful standout 1-2 closing shots, a technique used all too often for falsely fresh aftertastes of questionable wholes).

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