Bright Eyes
I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning / Digital Ash in a Digital Urn

Saddle Creek
2005
A / B+
Reviewed by: Derek Miller
Reviewed on: 2005-01-24



Posted 01/24/2005 - 01:04:19 PM by Liarbythefire:
 I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I listened to Digital Ash... IWAIM however I think will be on my personal 'best of' list for 2005.
 
Posted 01/24/2005 - 09:44:48 PM by stevoUK:
 Dont be put off by bad reviews...if you are a music lover dont listen to the bad press. I bought this album on a whim today and have just finished listening to it....i think i held my breath for the entire 50 minutes i was so amazed by its sheer perfection.I dont know any other of their works so maybe i'm not sure what Conor and the gang are supposed to be 'about' but this album has probably made my year(not day) already.Try it out guys...
 
Posted 01/24/2005 - 11:34:11 PM by cleverbeans:
 I've never understood why Bright Eyes got so much bad press. Despite his warble (which is easily overcome) his indulgent lyrics (which have many more moments of brilliance than banality) and "Emo" roots (whatever the hell that means), Conor Oberst can write a goddamn good song. Fevers and Mirrors alone has the absolutely gorgeous "Something Vague," as well as the explosive "The Calendar Hung Itself." I urge anyone and everyone who enjoys "I'm Wide Awake..." to go back and reevaluate Fevers and Mirrors.
 
Posted 01/25/2005 - 12:38:12 PM by Daniel_Fullard:
 Just listened to "I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning" and my first impressions are great. The album is very solid throughout and I just love the fragility in his voice. The albums concludes with the best song on the record in my opinion. A must buy and I look forward to listening to it for years to come. A
 
Posted 01/26/2005 - 04:21:19 PM by idunnowhy:
 personally, I like Digital Ash better. This might have something to do with the fact that I've been listening live/radio versions of half the songs from Wide Awake for nearly a year now. At any rate, Digital Ash grew on my after a few listens. There are some weak moments (Arc of time, light pollution), but also a lot of genius melody and lyricism (hit the switch, i believe in symmetry). I like that a lot of people have trouble with the album simply because the beats are so weak (kinda like the postal service but even more insulting). Let's face it though: rhythm has never been one of Conor's strong suits. Digital Ash is essentially a collection of "Lover I don't have to Love"s, and I dont think that's such a bad thing.
 
Posted 01/30/2005 - 03:42:29 PM by mysterytour:
 IWAIM is a great album. I really like it, and I am not the biggest bright eyes fan. I was very surprised to read the allmusic.com review of this album though. They normally have the most sober reviews, but they really seemed up in arms about how horrible this guy is.
 
Posted 02/04/2005 - 03:59:49 AM by :
 Who started this? Just like the `King of Pop`, every time Sony shoves those words up against the name Michael Jackson, another generation evolves into a world where they know not the truth. We were all born believing Elvis to be the `King` yeah? So I shalln`t be hypocritical & mention one of the greatest American songwriters by name here, but every time someone uses it (no matter how cynically) in a review, some of that shit`s gonna stick on some impressionable minds. It`s gonna take Oberst to write lyrics about anything other than himself before he even leaves the bedroom. The post below is correct...Bright Eyes got a scratch in their groove on Fevers & Mirrors. I hope one day they bump the needle but it didn`t happen with these two albums.
 
Posted 02/04/2005 - 06:50:53 PM by Liarbythefire:
 Reading the allmusic.com review, it's almost like Stephen Thomas Erlewhines is mad that Bright Eyes is becoming famous, or he didn't like him to begin with, or he didn't want to review the albums anyway. I found his description/assessment of Wide Awake actually fit more with Digital Ash.