The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
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New Music Notes by Mark Boshnack ‘The People’s Key,’ by Bright Eyes Sometimes a little extra effort can make all the dif- ference. Take the new album by Bright Eyes. The group and its driving force, Conor Oberst, have been around for more than a decade. I have al- ways been a casual listener of Bright Eyes’ work, but never a big fan. But with NPR recently running the new album “The People’s Key” free for weeks, I gave it more than the usual listen. The album was released Tuesday. With its blend of incredible music and mystical lyr- ics, the band’s achievement sounds better with every listen. Instead of being just a collection of songs, this album serves as a road map of a spiritual journey, without being pretentious. With its opening science fiction-style speech in the song “Firewall,” the casual listener might get turned off. It’s all part of the journey _ stick with it. About two minutes into the monologue, the music starts. With a simple guitar accompaniment Oberst sings about themes of searching, spirituality and the future that continues through the album. The second song, “Shell Games,” is beautifully constructed with a very hummable chorus: “Here it come that heavy love.” It takes some surprising twists before it’s over. “Jejeune Stars” begins with a rock opening of ma- chine gun-like guitar and bass before Oberst contin- ues his mystical journey. “Every new day is a gift; it’s a song of redemption” _ his talk of time travel and the meaning of life, backed by synthesizers, guitars and drum, sounds like a pop hit. The narrator comes back, as he does later on in the album. As the understanding progresses, his role in the cycle grows in importance, encouraging the story. Songs like “Haile Selassie” and “Begin- ner’s Mind” are catchy tunes, filled with amazingly crafted lyrics. The reflective, piano-based “Ladder Song” is a little different, but a gem. One reviewer said it was written toward the end of the making of the album, follow- ing the death of a friend of Oberst. With the tone of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts,” it ends with the reassuring lines to the uncertain: “This whole life’s an hallucination; You’re not alone in anything; You’re not alone in trying to be.” The musical journey ends with the catchy “One for You, One for Me.” With its reassur- ances of our place in the universe, you could easily find yourself humming the tune. But the album isn’t over until the narrator returns with his reassurances that people have the power to bring enlightenment, peace and mercy. In the 1970s, English musician Nick Lowe wrote a song asking the question in the title “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” In 2011, Bright Eyes takes listeners on a jour- ney so they can hear that’s what the future can be. If readers have any suggestions, Mark Boshnack can be reached at mboshnack@thedailystar.com. Feb. 17, 2011 O-Town Scene 9 Contributed ‘The People’s Key,’ Bright Eyes’ new album, hit the market Tuesday, Feb. 15 Contributed The members of Bright Eyes are seen in this publicity shot. Conor Oberst is on the right.