Friday, December 16, 2005
Well, I Guess I Won't Be Getting the Bright Eyes Album
Now, I'm no Will, but I do sometimes spend a good bit of time over at Amazon.com daydreaming about media of all types that I would someday like to own. I like to notice the recommendations they have for me in an attempt to discover new music. Today I noticed that the latest Bright Eyes album, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning came up quite a bit. I wasn't sure what to think of this, as I had been less than impressed with what I had heard and seen of young Conor Oberst up to this point. I specifically remember seeing him on Austin City Limits some time ago. As I watched him I honestly found myself being reminded, for some reason, of Bob Dylan. My being a big Dylan fan, this should have been a good thing. But I also found myself thinking that this guy, try as he might, was no Bob Dylan. One of my favorite Dylan albums is The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1946: Concert at Philharmonic Hall. It showcases a young Dylan with an acoustic guitar (and occasionally Joan Baez) connecting with his audience and being totally awesome. As I watched Bright Eyes I was temporarily reminded of young Dylan's vitality, sincerity, and emotional gravitas. But it was only temporary. I quickly realized that this new guy might be sincere and emotional, but he was not vital. I couldn't imagine his stupid songs meaning anything to anyone but himself. He was engaging in, I decided, the worst kind of lyrical masturbation and vomiting his woe-is-me bullshit into a microphone while holding a guitar. I was not a fan.
But today as I noticed I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning being recommended to me I couldn't help but wonder if maybe I'd been too quick dismiss the guy. After all, he did remind me of Bob Dylan. So I started to do some research on how the artist and his album were perceived by various internet music critics. The first place I checked, quite naturally, was allmusic.com. And it was there that I found a dandy of a review by my old buddy Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Please, read it here. I suppose I only think it's a dandy of a review because STE says essentially what I was thinking when I saw Bright Eyes for the first time, but it's totally worth reading for phrases like "puking out lines filled with cheap metaphors and clumsy words that don't scan." Exactly what I was thinking! STE, you rock. So, in conclusion, my first impression being correct, I won't be buying that Bright Eyes album, recommended as it may be.
But today as I noticed I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning being recommended to me I couldn't help but wonder if maybe I'd been too quick dismiss the guy. After all, he did remind me of Bob Dylan. So I started to do some research on how the artist and his album were perceived by various internet music critics. The first place I checked, quite naturally, was allmusic.com. And it was there that I found a dandy of a review by my old buddy Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Please, read it here. I suppose I only think it's a dandy of a review because STE says essentially what I was thinking when I saw Bright Eyes for the first time, but it's totally worth reading for phrases like "puking out lines filled with cheap metaphors and clumsy words that don't scan." Exactly what I was thinking! STE, you rock. So, in conclusion, my first impression being correct, I won't be buying that Bright Eyes album, recommended as it may be.
