You Heard Me Right

The much anticipated final (yes, this is the last Bright Eyes album that Conor Oberst intends to release) album of Conor Oberst’s indie-folk band Bright Eyes, called The People’s Key, was leaked! I’ve listened to it a couple times through and I can definitely tell you, it’s something different. I won’t go too in-depth, because I intend on doing a full review, but I will say that it’s very electronic and punk oriented, a lot more so than anything Oberst has done before. Not necessarily Digital Ash/Digital Urn electronic, a bit poppier at some points. But as an avid Bright Eyes fan, I like it.

I won’t post a link or anything, but I will say that if you Google search “the peoples key site:mediafire.com” without the quotes, you might find a few downloads of the album (not due to be out until February 15th). 

But like I said, expect an in-depth review of The People’s Key in a couple days!

The only way to properly describe the indie pop band “fun.” is, in fact, fun. Their debut album Aim and Ignite, released in 2009, was critically acclaimed, scoring a 91% on AbsolutePunk.net, 5/5 stars from PopMatters, and 4/5 stars from Allmusic. Their music upbeat, poppy, energetic, and very catchy. It’s hard not to feel happy while listening to fun.’s toe-tapping tunes.

The opening track, Be Calm, has an interesting feel about it. It changes sounds a few times, but keeps the same idea. I really liked the theme of it. Benson Hedges has brilliant harmonies, and the slight electronic elements are enjoyable. The third track, All The Pretty Girls, is very Queen-like. Again, more great harmonies. Lead singer Nate Ruess (formerly of Arizona indie group the Format) hits some superb highs in this, as well as the opening track. I Wanna Be The One is a lovely touching song, again showing off Ruess’ voice. At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be) is personally one of my favorite tracks off the album. A very catchy tune, this song has some very interesting lyrics. Next is Light A Roman Candle With Me, a touching love song. Walking The Dog is another poppy upbeat song, very…fun. Barlights feels a bit odd, it’s tied for my least favorite song on the album with Take Your Time (Coming Home). But next comes my absolute favorite song off this, and possibly one of my favorite songs ever. The Gambler is a piano-based love song that Ruess wrote about his parents. His voice and the solo piano blend so well, and I tear up every time I hear this song. It’s a must-have for anyone’s iPod. Closing off the album is Take Your Time (Coming Home), a bit of an odd track. I don’t much care for it, but I still enjoy it to an extent.

Aim and Ignite is one of the few albums that I can listen to all the way through, not skip a track, and come away overjoyed. It hits all the right notes, and is really an uplifting and fun (I really do need to stop using that wordplay) album. It’s definitely my favorite album of ‘09.

Final verdict: 8/10