Search - Bright Eyes :: Four Winds

A great Ep

Catherine Rubsam | 03/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a good ep from Connor, even though if, from what I've heard of Cassadega, it may contain some better songs than his upcoming album. But, nevertheless, this is great, and I really hope further listening will make Cassadega come alive for me. I don't know why, but, even with the folkish greatness of Four Winds, Connor has chosen to pursue the country side of his sprawling LP, Lifted or The Story Is In the Soil Put Your Ear To the Ground, rather than the beautiful folk/indie stuff from his earlier, more brilliant Fevers and Mirrors and Every Day And Every Night. He explores a little of that on Cartoon Blues and Reinvent the Wheel, but he seems to be countrifying his new stuff. Which, frankly, is a little disapointing, because, while every Bright Eyes song is a work of genious, he seems to be teetering a little too close to the country side of American radio for my liking. But, like I said, I hope it does get better than my initial perception is telling me. Buy this ep and his older stuff and hope for the best."

Time to shine on his own

vedderoh1 | NJ United States | 03/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is always scary to hear the hyperbolic comparisons journalists love to give certain musicians when they've accomplished what may be their best work to date. In Conor's case it was also a curse that he ahd to get rid of.

By sampling only the tip of what Cassadag awill be, Four winds EP gives us a new respire and new reasons to believe Bright Eyes cannot and will not be tied down to allegories of "the new this" or "the young that" that its lead singer received two years ago.

Opening track Four winds is a more upbeat song if we compared it to anything included in I'm awake it's morning", while 'Smoke without fire". duet with M. Ward takes us back to the times when he was relatively unknown and his ballads sounded like a cry more than a song/ 'Stray dog freedom" explores more the sound of southern rock with louder guitars and a more proper verse-chous-verse structure. Closing track "tourist trap" proves to be the real gem, like in most of his previous EPs.

Although a tease for those of us waiting for the complete album, this EP is worth every penny. Get it, enjoy it, and find out why Bright Eyes music makes the fans rave and passionately love them."

Great Stuff

Jason R. Parrish | Clearwater, FL USA | 05/17/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love this album. Track 2 is impossible to get out of your head.

The use of the steel guitar and mandolins and kinda twangy stuff might turn some people off but I thought it was tastefully done. Think of the Wide awake album and replace the blues influence with country/bluegrass influence."