Bright Eyes - The People's Key

To say that Conor Oberst likes to keep busy is somewhat of an understatement. He has so far released seven solo efforts and has played in several bands including Desaparecidos, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Monsters of Folk. And on februari 15th - his birthday - he released The People's Key onto the world, the eleventh album by Oberst with Bright Eyes, the project for which he is probably most acclaimed. Over the years Bright Eyes has been labeled as being folk, but for this record Oberst held different ambitions. 'We're over the Americana, rootsy, whatever that sound is', the singer stated to NME late last year in an interview about the upcoming album adding that the new album would be 'rocking and, for lack of a better term, contemporary, or modern'. But the folk - and godforbid someone should call it country - influences definately remain present. And that's a good thing.

As per usual with Bright Eyes albums, The People's Key takes of with a semi-philosophical spoken word intro in 'Firewall', this time by musician Randy Brewer. With the charisma of a televangelist Brewer's ponderings on evolution, good and evil and Biblical faith service as sort of a thread throughout the album. The actual song is a moody guitar track, culminating in almost in a marching band-like finale. On 'Shell Games', the album's first single, the intent of the album starts to shine through. The guitars are turned up a notch, as the band takes a more indie-rock approach. On 'Jejune Stars' the bursting guitars reach Muse-levels of theatrics, but it doesn't necessarily lift the songs to a higher level. Contemporary maybe, but at the same time a little hollow and that's a shame, because Bright Eyes has always steared clear of unidimensionality. After all that the band tones it back down on 'Approximate Sunlight', to a much softer sound, much more complementary with Oberst's sharp, sometimes nagging voice and the spiritual lyrics. The track is carried by a sober, downcast melody laced with wavey guitar sounds and shreds of spoken word. Au fond it's songs like these that will grab you by the throat. Another highlight is piano ballad 'Ladder Song', the most fragile and at the same time one of the strongest moments on the album. The albums end with a rare dose of optimism in 'One For You, One For Me' and the final word goes to Brewer. The People's Key is definately their loudest album so far, but it's the silent songs that resound the loudest.

Tracklist

1. Firewall

2. Shellgames

3. Jejune Stars

4. Approximate Sunlight

5. Haile Selassie

6. A Machine Spiritual (In The People's Key)

7. Triple Spiral

8. Beginner's Mind

9. Ladder Song

10. One For You, One For Me