Conor Oberst is the manic man who’s followers are like legions of downtrodden sad sacks. Now maybe I’m being harsh but the indie deep thinker seems always whining about something and even live- he has no ‘umph’. Is life really that bad?
There is a fine line between being a deep thinker and a drag. Generally I would let any Bright Eyes new slip past, its not my scene and if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all (do you really think I subscribe to that?!) But here is a tune that actually works for Conor and his band of un-Merry men!
Below is the Bright Eyes version of ‘Blue Christmas’ an absolutely perfect song for Bright Eyes. If it’s not obvious I am not a fan so for me to offer up a positive is pretty darn amazing!
Now don’t get too excited this album isn’t really new. It was offered up in 2002 as a fundraiser of the Nebraska Aids Foundation but suddenly the hep cats over at Saddle Creek are opening it up to ‘wide release’, meaning its no longer a limited ‘pressing’. Things get so industry jargon dont they?
Who joins Oberst? Iman’s pal and Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor; Jake Bellows (Neva Dinova); Gretta Cohn (Cursive); Armand Costanzo; Denver Dalley (Desaparecidos); Stefanie Drootin-Senseny (The Good Life, Big Harp); Orenda Fink (Azure Ray, O+S); Neely Jenkins (Tilly and the Wall); Jiha Lee (The Good Life); Andy LeMaster (Now It’s Overhead); Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes); Matt Oberst; Stephen Pedersen (Criteria); Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley); Macey Taylor (Mystic Valley Band); and Nick White (Tilly and the Wall).
Hip enough? Listen here-