Bright Eyes — Cassadaga

Six albums into his career, Conor Oberst's experience is woven gracefully throughout Bright Eyes' new LP, their most adventurous and accomplished to date. Some of the songs could rank as instant classics. "Make A Plan To Love Me," with it's '60s girl group harmonies and lush orchestration, shows a maturity far beyond Oberst's years. "If The Brakeman Turns My Way" and "Soul Singer In A Session Band" gleefully tread on the most memorable hallmarks of The Band. The dark acoustic melody of "Middleman" shifts into a strings- and woodwind-based stomp that has the power of a funeral march. On top of it all, Oberst sounds stronger and more tuneful than on any of his previous records, and he sheds the dreaded emo tag once and for all with a lyrical effort that reflects musical storytelling at its best. 

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