on 2009-08-25 kev_stev Said:

I don't think Digital gets the love it deserves. It's wildly experimental and probably one of the most interesting Bright Eyes' albums ever. Plus it has "I Believe in Symmetry," which is easily one of Conor's best songs.
Rating: 9/10

Review:

on 2009-08-25 ToddLevinsonFrank Said:

At different times (and to various degrees) Conor Oberst is one of many artists to be cursed with the "new Dylan" label, but one of the things he really has in common with Bob Dylan is a refusal to be pinned down and labeled again. Perhaps by subconsciously taking a page from Dylan's book, he's managed to explore his own duality as a means of throwing us curves and proving that sometimes following a muse means making lots of left turns.

Bright Eyes, the "band" that serves as creative vehicle for Oberst the singer/songwriter, became a critical and cult success with the release of Lifted, or The Story's in the Soil Keep Your Ear to the Ground in 2002. With sprawling narratives, stunning/clever/rambling lyrics, and musical diversions that ranged from the stark to the symphonic, Lifted was at times as bloated and pretentious as its title. But it was also brilliant, earning the then-22-year-old Oberst the unenviable and predictably clich?d titles bestowed by the label-happy media of the new century: "alt-folk boy genius of the emo generation." Yet another "this generation's Bob Dylan." Recording since his first demo at age 12, this prot?g? from Omaha, Nebraska could've awoken in the aftermath of such success in danger of crumbling under the weight of the lofty expectations, his own prolific output, or both.

But in January of 2005, Bright Eyes released two separate albums at the same time, just as other new Dylans Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams had once done. That's always a tough trick to pull off. Bright Eyes succeeds, mostly because the albums, both lyrically driven, are very different in sound and instrumentation. He had originally considered splitting the ambitious Lifted into two separate releases, and by doing so with these new albums, he shows us the stark contrast of his two sides. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn lays a cold and modern electronic foundation for Oberst's whiny wails (not unlike the Cure's Robert Smith) and deathly meditations. It's a solid yet unspectacular effort, but the real gem is it's acoustic-based companion, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. This terrific set of folk tunes won't help Bright Eyes escape the Dylan comparisons, but it does cement his growing legend as one of America's great young songwriters and recording artists. Wide Awake is just a simple and purely great album, highly recommended along with Lifted.

Rating: 6/10

Review:

on 2007-07-09 kev_stev Said:

From front to back, "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn" is a thought provoking journey led by front man Conor Oberst, where he explores drug abuse and promiscuity while musically experimenting with drum beats and new instrumentations. As with every Bright Eyes album, the lyrics are emphasized and are one of the album's triumphs, delving into the despair of drug addictions--as once seen on the EVERY DAY AND EVERY NIGHT EP--while using powerful imagery and allegory to deliver Oberst's messages in various ways. Stand out tracks include "Gold Mind Gutted," which is heavily reliant on drum beats and "I Believe in Symmetry," which, in my opinion, is one of Bright Eyes' most powerful, meaningful, and enjoyable songs. Explore this album with confidence, it's just as good as its sister album I'M WIDE AWAKE IT'S MORNING.
Rating: 9/10