Rating: NNNN
That prolific Bright Eyes main man Conor Oberst had enough material to pack two full albums is no surprise. That he flexes such different muscles on each disc is a far more remarkable achievement. For the BE neophyte, I’m Wide Awake is the more conventional of the two, a cathartic wail of aching tunesmithery that hovers between backpack emo and the hurtin’ country turf of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris (whose delicate harmonies here are a highlight). An insane roster of guests, from Jim James to Jesse Harris, maintain the rotating-door vibe. Most notable are moments like Lua, where Oberst refrains from his usual histrionic caterwauling. Digital Ash is more interesting, a glitchy foray into an electronic dystopia for which Oberst calls in favours from the Postal Service’s Jimmy Tamborello and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner. A baby howls and synths bubble up with Oberst’s filtered vocals from echoing depths, while strings compete with industrial squelches. It’s like a terribly earnest Faint, and a fascinating deviation from straight-up emo.
