1.Given the lo-fi and intimate nature characterizing the music of Bright Eyes one might wonder how they can deliver an hour and half set without tiring the audience. It was an important landmark in the band’s career and one of the most influential indie-rock albums to come out during its time. Bright Eyes’ folk-influence is powerful here, but it’s also the introduction of their electronic side which would manifest itself fully on subsequent releases. The album has a bright, confident tone, which is refreshing in the current indie rock scene. “Lifted or The Story…” marked the band’s commercial breakthrough, with “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” becoming their most recognizable song. Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (2002) No Bright Eyes collection is complete without this one.

The arrangements are very raw and straightforward, which makes the intimate feeling of the album something to treasure. Oberst’s songwriting reaches new heights here, with some of his best lyrics ever written. This album has a lot of charm, like listening to an old friend you haven’t met in years. Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was (2020)īefore “Blowing up with “Lifted…” in 2002, “Fevers and Mirrors” was what put Bright Eyes on the map. It’s a very enjoyable album with lots of Christmas classics. Some people might consider this a cash grab by Oberst since Christmas records are in high demand around the holidays, but that’s not the case. It is not the kind of release you’d expect from an indie rock band like Bright Eyes, but I think it fits their style very well. “A Christmas Album” is the band’s fifth studio album, but it’s really just a collection of B-sides and unreleased material. Johnny Depp even mentioned it as one of the best things to happen in 2007. The lyrics are very inspired and deep this is an ideal record if you’re into introspection and self-reflection. It’s also more of a band effort, with Oberst finally sharing the spotlight with his bandmates. Although it does have some filler, the number of great tracks here is impressive. The People’s Key (2011)Ĭassadaga is the first Bright Eyes album where I listen to every single track without skipping anything. Now, almost twenty years since the start of Bright Eyes’ career in 1999, I’m ranking all eight studio albums released starting with their debut “A Collection Of Songs Written And Recorded 1995-1997” up to the most recent release prior to this writing titled “Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was.” 10. Since then, they have been rotating a line-up of collaborators, primarily from Omaha’s indie music scene with every album they release. They would release four projects before bringing Nate Walcott on board as the band’s third and last permanent member.

Shortly after the first Bright Eyes release, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis would join the band as a permanent member. As a musician and songwriter, Conor has been prolific in releasing music under Bright Eyes and multiple side projects with monikers such as Monster of Folk, Desaparecidos, Better Oblivion Community Centre, and so many others. Bright Eyes originally began as a solo project by singer/songwriter Conor Oberst.

Bright eyes