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Bright Eyes: Cassadaga

14th April 2007 | by Ross Riley

It's said that the greatest poetry is never finished, merely abandoned and forcing Conor Oberst into the vagaries of release schedules almost feels like imposing abandonment on his work.

Cassadaga is definitely the most ambitious Bright Eyes release, it simmers into life with an almost ethereal feel and also gives us some of Conor's most accomplished lyrics to date.

If you're trying to place this album in the Bright Eyes family tree it would have to be the child of 2005's “I'm Wide Awake It's Morning” but set to the atmosphere of impending apocalypse. There's always a tendency to underestimate Bright Eyes' records, like the finest musical creations they tend to mature with every listen - Cassadaga doesn't disappoint in this regard.

You will have course already enjoyed the lead single 'Four Winds' which set glorious poetic lyrics to a stark country music swagger, it's a track that is echoed a few times throughout the record if with a slightly more subdued swagger. 'Soul Singer in a Session Band' has a slightly chaotic arrangement and 'Hot Knives' continues the sporadic folksy feel.

There are a few real stand out tracks peppered throughout the album. 'If the Brakeman Turns My Way' describes the futility of a life forever in the hands of someone else - with dark, yet profound poetic imagery. Jenny Lewis performs backing vocals on 'Make a Plan to Love Me' which is an upbeat story of love disguised by the vagaries of living.

The undoubted high point of the album though is 'No-one Would Riot for Less', the arrangements are simple, the acoustic guitar soothes into existence and Conor's voice is at his most vulnerable yet, it is the song that this album was made to showcase and one of Bright Eyes' finest songs to date.

Cassadaga isn't an unqualified classic album, like many Bright Eyes releases it feels like it is a mere snapshot of a period of work and we still haven't heard the wholly groundbreaking record that lurks somewhere within their talent. Nevertheless the past ten years has seen a progression from an insular to a much more expansive sound which hints at greater things still to come. It's not finished but it is abandoned as a beautiful piece of music.

Comments

cs65dos

commented 1 year ago

No doubt it will be worth every penny....

But anyone noticed that this record is priced up in all the high street for £15+?