Albums by this artist

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May 1, 2003
Town Hall, New York

October 21, 2000
New York,

Bright Eyes

Fevers And Mirrors

» MARK GROESCHNER | STAFF WRITER

Bright Eyes

Fevers And Mirrors

Saddle Creek, 2000

RiYL: Neutral Milk Hotel, Guided By Voices

When we last heard from Bright Eyes, a.k.a. young Conor Oberst, he was spinning the macabre-folk pop that turned up on 1999's Every Day And Every Night, While only a few of that EP's tunes accurately captured Oberst's unique songcraft, there was no doubt that he was onto something exciting. With the release of the full length, Fevers And Mirrors, Oberst and friends have come together to create an absolutely stunning listening experience.

At first listen, one might think Fevers And Mirrors is the little sister to Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. With Fevers' plentiful double-tracked vocals, organs, mellotrons and e-bows juxtaposed with lyrics about seas of pianos, lingering ghosts and kissing girls with broken jaws, it is hard to deny the influence. But upon further examination, Oberst clearly has his own stories to tell.

"Something Vague" acts as the thematic centerpiece of Oberst's opus. The stripped-down track is a neurotic's take on a gloomy winter day that seconds later translates into a passionate soliloquy about childhood, life, death and dreams:

But now I'm confused, is this death really you? Do these dreams have any meaning? No, I think it's more like a ghost that's been following us both, something vague that we're not seeing. Something vague, like a feeling.

Oberst blurs dreams and reality to create a bleak environment that can only be described as over-the-top. Yet, by mixing melancholy thoughts of everyday happenings with "spooky" themes such as ghosts, gravestones, cemeteries, and funeral processions, Oberst is able to create songs that represent strange notions often disguised as linear stories.

As Fevers progresses, Oberst and auxiliary bandmates Mike Mogis, Tim Kasher, Joe Knapp, and Andy LeMaster (amongst others) stray from the production values of Neutral Milk Hotel, and begin to create warmer soundscapes to accompany Bright Eyes songs. Much like Jeff Mangum's bandmates on Aeroplane Oberst's backing band deserve a tremendous amount of praise for their work on this record. Whether it be the Radiohead vibe of "The Movement Of A Hand," the Sunny Day Real Estate-meets-Fiddler on the Roof romp of "Sunrise, Sunset" or the simple folk balladry of "An Attempt To Tip The Scales," producers Mogis and LeMaster are able to create flawless backdrops to Oberst's fractured tales.

Despite stellar production, Oberst's performance on Fevers, is not to be understated either. The smooth segue from his soft, crackly voice to his passionate high-pitched yelping spotlights a sense of urgency rivaled in few singer-songwriters of today.

The strength of the Bright Eyes collective is perfectly displayed on "The Center of the World," a sleepy tom-filled confessional that builds towards a loose organ jam before Oberst's scream drives the song into high gear, ending with an emo-paranoia slant usually found on Jade Tree Records.

Despite the unnecessary self-mocking/self-indulgent mid-CD interview session, and the fact some might find Oberst's Halloween-riddled lyrics a bit novel, Bright Eyes has without a doubt put forth one of the most original and fulfilling albums of the year thus far.

MARK GROESCHNER | Mark Groeschner is the creator of the late, great satirical Web site Public Nigmity. When not soothing the nerves of his pudgy cat Yoda or harassing people from afar on the Internet, he works for the commercial/video production company Brand New School.