Search - Bright Eyes :: Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

Indie Concept Albums

William Hoffknecht | Fernley, NV | 05/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So Bright Eyes has been a predominant figure in indie rock for years, but a lot of it was due to this album.

Lifted starts and ends with a simple point: Hope and Defeat. Every song on this album circles around these ideas as well as continually within songs mentioning the idea of being "Lifted".

If for no other reason, buy this album for the last track. Before I heard this, I was a little skeptical of Bright Eyes and this album, but basically the last song on the album, "Let's Not S*** Ourselves" summed up everything that I as a song writer have been trying to say in all of my songs, but somehow he wrote my words, and with perfection.

I will warn that sometimes this album takes awhile to grow on some people, so give it a shot, and be patient.

Musically this is still Bright Eyes' best album to date. The genres range from indie rock, to folk, to country, and even more of an electronic style of beat from time to time, and somehow they meshed them all together into a brilliant album that demands to be listening to rather loudly from front to back. A true work of art."

Lifted, or the Story Was Daniel Johnston's

Nicholas Inglis | Whitinsville, MA, USA | 01/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lyrically this album is near unparallelled in its blunt honesty. You've got to have a taste for the type of vocalization of Oberst's, a warbly jitter, or you'll instantly dislike the album. The music behind the lyrics ranges from Country (along the lines of bluegrass) to semi-industrial ("Lover I Don't Have To Love"). It has recordings that are pieced together from a lo-fi singalong to brilliant studio quality.



I have to say though, that the most compelling plotline of Bright Eyes' work here, or through their other albums to this one, is that Oberst has captured a page from the semi-obscure musician, Daniel Johnston. Agree or not, you can hear the resonance of Johnston's work, a decade later in the work of Conor Oberst's early works. I'd have to believe that if Johnston hadn't drown in obscurity and mental illness he'd sound a lot like Bright Eyes today.



"Lifted" is, in my opinion, currently, the definitive work of Bright Eyes. This is a great place to start if you are delving into their catalogue."

Wow

ms_dilworth | Charlotte, NC United States | 03/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Give this one a few listens and it will stay in the rotation forever...having come late to the Bright Eyes party (after seeing him post-Wilco on Austin City Limits a few months ago) - and ignoring tremendous reviews in Paste, et al - I've got to say that Conor Oberst is outstanding.



Heartfelt is an understatement -- terrific music (even occasional steel guitar) -- lyrics to rival anyone...



I'm Wade Awake still Bright Eyes' best album, but believe me, give this a shot - you won't be disappointed (regardless of your politics).



Anyone with a remote interest in Ryan Adams, Gillian, Wilco, Sufjan needs to give Bright Eyes a try..."