Conor Oberst and the Bright Eyes gang achieve big sounds with their new record Cassadaga.Some "too cool for school" folks would say that Cassadaga is too slick and that Oberst is abandoning his indie roots, but in reality he's doing what every artist really wants to do. He made a record with a decent budget and allowed the time to make the record sound great.
On Cassadaga, we find Oberst channeling Bob Dylan, The Band, and any number of classic country and folk artists of the past. He brings his own style and sense of melody to a very classic sound.
The album begins in typical Bright Eyes fashion. The opening track, "Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed)," begins with what Oberst calls a "noise collage." In the first few minutes of the record, when you hear the swells of an orchestra over a woman's voice which evolves into a beautiful song featuring pedal steel guitar, which can be heard all over Cassadaga.
As "Clairaudients" fades out, "Four Winds" launches immediately with fiddle screaming. "Four Winds" is definitely a stand-out track on the record. The fiddle, the quick tempo and catchy, almost gospel-like, chorus is incredibly convincing. This isn't a band trying to channel that 60s/70s era sound, they truly understand it and feel it.
The album continues on in a very grand fashion with the orchestra making many appearances. While the record seems like it would be this big, overdone production, with the large list of performers on many of the tracks, the album maintains a very intimate, real sound that Bright Eyes fans have come to love over the years.
There isn't a single filler track on this record. It's quality from beginning to end. Whether you love or hate Bright Eyes, it is undeniable that Cassadaga is an incredibly soulful, moving record from a truly gifted band/collective.
Download Cassadaga on iTunes
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