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Just for Liz - Listen to the new Conor Oberst album!
Submitted by Cory Banks on July 24, 2008.
Breaking away from my cruel dayjob overlords while their backs were turned, I spent a few moments reading Stereogum's thoughts on the new self-titled Conor Oberst album, due August 5th on Merge. Sounds like they like it, which should make a certain unnamed imaginary girl very happy:
On CO he finds a balance between growing up/staying young, between his more mature storytelling and his younger heartache. Maybe it was time he dropped Bright Eyes as a name and was somehow reborn, an older and wiser version of the kid who released that last non-Bright Eyes Oberst album 13 years ago.
But the real treat was a comment from Long Luke, who dropped a link to Rhapsody's free stream of the upcoming album. You've gotta sign up for a free account and who knows what kind of spam will fill your inbox, but if it gets you one step closer to Conor, who cares?
Confession time: I've heard exactly two Bright Eyes songs in my life, and barely remember them. Is this the album that'll bring me into the fold? I'm two songs in and like what I've heard so far. What Bright Eyes album would you recommend for a new fan?
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Erik Gonzalez said on July 24, 2008:
Oddly enough, I did get into the Conor Oberst groove via Desaparecidos. I remember thinking "this guy is in Bright Eyes, eh? I wonder what they're like".
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Cory Banks said on July 25, 2008:
@liz: Totally want that mix. Show me what I've been missing. Desaparecidos sounds interesting, too. It's on my list.
I've been through the self-titled album now, and I like it. It demands another playthrough -- there are moments you only catch a glimpse of, bits I want to explore further. I love that in an album.
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serotonein said on July 25, 2008:
merge also offers free streams of new albums. now that it's available for pre-order, you can listen to it, too
http://www.mergerecords.com/media.php
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patrick said on July 27, 2008:
can't wait to buy this album, and for East Street & Neumos this week! check out Wide Awake, Digital Ash and Lifted. go conor!
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Reviews
imaginary liz said on July 24, 2008:
OMG - does this mean I can start rambling about the album?
My fav tracks on CO are: "I Don't Want to Die (In the Hospital)," "Souled Out!!!" and "NYC-Gone, Gone"
I have a special mix cd for folks I'm trying to convert, but if I'm blindly recommending BE to someone, I'd say... hmmm... Fevers and Mirrors? That's my favorite album and high up on the desert island list. But songs like "Lover I Don't Have to Love" and "Hot Knives" on his subsequent albums are quite convincing sips of Kool-Aid. Or, I might even suggest they start out with the Desaparecidos album which is like Fight Club in an album -- except less bloody and more invigorating.