I am why

Artist:Bright Eyes
Album Title:I'm wide awake, it's morning
Price Paid:$9.99
Release Date:January 25, 2005
Record Label:Saddle Creek
Track Listing:

1. At The Bottom Of Everything
2. We Are Nowhere And It's Now
3. Old Soul Song (For The New World Order)
4. Lua
5. Train Under Water
6. First Day Of My Life
7. Another Travelin' Song
8. Landlocked Blues
9. Poison Oak
10. Road To Joy


Image:

Review:

At The Bottom Of Everything
At the bottom of everything is the album opener for Bright Eyes second album. It opens with a story about a girl on a plane that is about to crash. Older Bright Eyes fans would tell you right off that it is just a creative metaphor who's interpertation is up to whatever you wish it to be. After he finishes the story, it goes onto a simple meladoy that you would expect from a lyric influenced band. It's insturments really bring nothing with them so it is up for you to listen to the words to make that picture in your head.

We Are Nowhere And It's Now
In this song, and much of the rest of the album, the singing isn't really all that flowing as singing usually is. In a way it is more spoken words that a
normal song would hold. There are a few moments in the song where the insturments hold the moment. For the most part though, they just help the song move along and keep the feeling.

Old Soul Song (For The New World Order)
Here is one of the few songs on the album where without the few instuments it has in it, it wouldn't work at all. The lyrics are written very well and always go with a matching beat and the same syllables. But for some reason, without the subtle noise in the backround it wouldn't work. The guitar very much so compliments the words and creates the feeling that goes with everything.

Lua
With how this song is put together it is very differnt from Old Soul Song but is yet very similair. The lone ukulele it really sets the tone. While at
times the lyrics hint that it may be a love song it is really a simple song of being alone and wanting that significant other. And even though I said every song was up for interpertation, I can guarentee if you hear it you will think of the same thing. It's use of metaphor is in my mind so brilliant on how he
could use phrases as he does that have nothing to do with the actual topic.
Train Under Water

This song is one of the few that can be appreciated for both the lyrics and insturments. Although like all the others it has a simple repeating melody. But instead of keeping just to that, every minute or so it adds in a new part that keeps you interested. You almost forget about the words. Like stated above, most songs are more or less spoken. This one however is sung more than spoken. In this case it makes it so the few parts that are just said words really stand out and are the highlight moments. It's completly backwards from how most musicans would do it.

First Day Of My Life
Now when most people here Bright Eyes for the first time they think each song is a love song. In fact, this is the only one that is a traditional love song. I remember that a while ago someone on LWS said that if you were to play a song for a girl, this would be the song to do and I completly agreed. Nothing by any artist even compares lyricly to say I love you. This song could probally be renamed "Every way to tell her I love you"(not my words). It's even better because the guitar is kept simple letting the words shine through.

Another Travelin' Song
Out of all of the songs on the CD most of them follow the same general pattern on how they were written. Another travelin' song changes that. It follows more of a county melody and tune. Another thing you will notice is that this is the only song that is just what you would expect it to be, a song about traveling. There is nothing really special about the lyrics but the melody is just one that no matter what you listen to, you will be tapping your foot.

Landlocked Blues
Now that that outburst is over, it's back to the old simple songs. This one has next to no anything in it except the words at the start. Next to Poison
Oak, this song is the most encryped for lack of a better word because metaphors is nothing to describe what he uses here. This song also features the voice of Emmylou Harris who for the greater part of the song is just singing along with the same parts in harmony. The only thing you'll notice is the purposly kept the voices un-aligned which adds a nice touch.

Poison Oak
Posion Oak, if you've only heard one song by Bright Eyes, there is a 90% chance that this is the one. This is half a love song that is played in what I call "desperate man" style. There is not a sung word in the entire song and throughout until the last minute and a half he sound on the verge of tears. In before emo remark. If you're too lazy to check if you've heard the song I'll put the lyrics that seem to trigger everyones memory. "But me I'm a single cell, on a serpants tongue, there's a money field, where a garden was. . ."

Road To Joy
The last song in any album should be differnt. But how to you close a CD that was completly slow throughout? By making a faster one of course. Because the vast majority of the CD speaks and feels of sadness, being alone, and love, this song is a song of closure. It gives you the feeling that the album was just one long story and now it is over and he got throught the problems. It shows that Bright Eyes is not a band that is in if for the money, but a band that
writes what he feels.







Final Score (out of ten):10

 

Aqualung

Thanks for the contribution to KMA! What genre is this group?

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Here we go. Mushu cereal for breakfast with duck sauce.

I am why

Most people tend to put them under folk.

Aqualung

interesting. It looks like something I will defintiely have to sample. (once I have a steady source of income. Stupid money! *shakes fist*)

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Here we go. Mushu cereal for breakfast with duck sauce.

ChrisP

Yeah money sux... *looks at his lonely snare*. I'm on a bit of a folk/trance/symphonic rock binge atm so I might check em out too.

Cheers!

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Insanity admitted...

Maquiladork

Obscure question: I just rented the Coachella documentary from Netflix and there was a clip of Bright Eyes singing a fantastic song on it. The problem is, I returned the DVD before I had a chance to figure out what the name of the song was and what album it might be on. Went to amazon.com to try to figure it out, but there are too many albums/song clips to listen to there. The lyrics at the end of the song go something like, "What was simple in the moonlight in the morning is so complicated." Does anyone know which song I'm talking about?

Also, for someone new to Bright Eyes, which album would you recommend buying first?

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I used to fly like Peter Pan.
All the children flew when I touched their hands.

mammoth1

um, I suppose someone who's brutally honest won't mind me doing this-- glad you're here dude and sorry to give a dissenting opinion so early in your stay at this nice place, but chrispy-- you will not like bright eyes. I'm pretty positive on this.

just trying to save you some loot.

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To reach inside a vault
Will never be the cost

I am why

I'll probally edit this early. I know its from the album "I'm wide awake its morning."

And mammoth1, I welcome anyones opinion.


EDIT - the song it Lua, I'll PM this to you to make sure you get it. And I would recommend this album first.

ChrisP

cheers dude.

I never pay til I'm sure it's good, but thanks anyway

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Insanity admitted...