Bright Eyes – The People’s Key

I’ve heard a lot of rumblings from people comparing The People’s Key to I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. To be honest, I’m Wide Awake is one of my favorite albums. Of all time. People’s Key is different and I love it. It’s brave for a band to take a different path and is refreshing for the listener.

I feel as though Oberst has gained some maturity and perspective in the last four years with his foray into Monsters of Folk and the Mystic Valley Band. It sounds refined and self-assured, as if Oberst is growing into himself as a songwriter, to a more confident place. There is more structure on People’s Key then we’ve seen from Bright Eyes before.

The album begins with a rambling, spoken-word sermon from Denny Brewer (of Refried Ice Cream) which intermixes a few other times through the record. This is a tricky choice: it can be seriously annoying or thought provoking. I’d still rather get down to the music, but it introduces a spiritual theme to The People’s Key and effected the way I interpreted the rest of the album.

Both “Shell Games” and “Haile Selassie” are stand-out singles: I’ve listened to those tracks on repeat and still can’t get enough. The album has a lot of bright moments- many of the tracks are easy to love from the first listen. Line after line provokes thought and reflection, as Bright Eyes typically does. The sound carries the emotion and shapes the other-wordly nature of the record.

Bright Eyes – Jejune Stars

In addition to the Bright Eyes lineup of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott, The People’s Key features guest spots from Andy LeMaster (Now It’s Overhead), Matt Maginn (Cursive), Carla Azar (Autolux), Clark Baechle (The Faint), Shane Aspegren (The Berg Sans Nipple), and Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds).

The People’s Key is out today on Saddle Creek Records. Bright Eyes is currently on tour- check out the full schedule here.