Conor Oberst, the tricks up his sleeve, and the rabbit in his hat.

All right. Here I am, several years down the road from when I first started listening to Oberst's Bright Eyes. And I don't know that my opinion has changed all that much since then. I started off disliking the music, dismissing it as some kind of indie crap with a mediocre vocalist. But, I kept listening. I'd tell people "OH man. Bright Eyes sucks dude. Fuck, I hate them so much. Who does that fucking weenie think he is?" But I'd go home at night and put on Fevers and Mirrors and lie down to bed with a smile on my face. I started to understand Conor Oberst. I felt the pain of humanity (finally!) the shittiness of it all. I started to feel his sadness. Then I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and Digital Ash came along. His popularity increased ten-fold. He had become an indie staple, Mr. Indie rock, the poster boy for that entire corner of the music industry.

That was three years ago. Of course I kept listening. Keeping an ear out for any signs of a new Bright Eyes album. Secretly I was very excited. Then I heard the rumblings. May of '07 Bright Eyes would have a new LP. "Sweet JEsus!" I thought to myself, "What luck! What a wondrous, joyous occasion it will be!"

But then I thought.....do I even really like Bright Eyes? I mean, I've listened to the albums. I like some of the songs. I thought yes. And no. It's not that I like or dislike Bright Eyes....it's that I'm still discerning it--still picking it apart. His music is a macabre puzzle, and I haven't figured it out yet...I'm not even close to solving it. I think most people who dislike Bright Eyes are afraid to make this kind of commitment to music. It's like....loving Tom Waits. If you're gonna do it, you've gotta go all the way. All or nothing. It's going to be your life. Because, it's deep, it's heavy, and it's bursting. You've got to hear everything, you've got to know everything, and you've got to feel it.

All. The. Time.

Being a Bright Eyes fan isn't just being a Bright Eyes fan....it's being Conor Oberst. That's why he's so important to so many people. And so scary to so many others.

Me? I don't think I'm ready to take that step. Or maybe...at least not in the direction of Bright Eyes. Unless Conor himself wants to come on down and talk me into it. Then maybe.

That being said. Cassadaga. From an outside viewpoint, let's take a look. I've got the album. (As I'm sure many of you dirty pirates out there do) And, honestly, I don't really like it. It's definitely Bright Eyes. But, it's a lot less Bright Eyes. You see what I'm saying? It's soft. Approachable. Mundane.

Yes, it's haunting, it's spooky, it's filled with an eerie mystery that's found on every Bright Eyes release to date. But Cassadaga's got a polished sheen that I can't seem to get past. Previously, Bright Eyes' works have all but defied description completely, as most good music does, dancing merrily between indie-rock, alternative, and folk genres. But, this album, after I listened, and all I could think was alt-country. That's what this is. At it's heart Cassadaga is an alt-country album. And that's a major disappointment.

There was something so perfect about not being able to put my finger on what exactly Bright Eyes was. Now that mystery is gone and I can feel the genre-stickiness oozing out of every corner.

It's as if he worked hard to flatten his vision--smooth it out. The whole album plays similarly, and it feels more approachable than any of his previous releases, less like a jumbled chorus of nonsense, less wiggly. Less surreal. It's more...ethereal. More like things we've heard before. Free associations fly, and the down-to-earth quality of the music pulls you in.

And I think he was trying to make it more accessible to the general public. He probably wanted to make a record that everyone would like. But, in doing so, he lost some of the original luster that made Bright Eyes so quirky and fun to listen to. (Fun to pick apart) Now, it's as if he's taken the loose ends, tied them all up into the same knot, and put orchestration behind it. Because that's what people want, clearly defined borders and a sense of cohesion. (Not all people, just most. I don't understand it, but..there ya go)

It was a bold move staying with Saddle Creek. Really, it was. Denying major label release when clearly your popularity is equaling, if not doubling or tripling any major label band's popularity. But was it really such a bold move? Hm?

Obviously staying with an indie label is going to have some monetary perks. If nothing else, minimal production costs and meager label fees. (Plus, Conor's brother is a co-owner of the company. So...you know what they say.....) I'm not saying he did it to make money. (Yes I am.) But just look at the facts. His popularity (he's easily the most popular artist on Saddle Creek, which would give him pretty much infinite freedom, musically). His brother's association with the label(Maybe he wanted to make him rich in the process. Nothing wrong with a little brotherly love). THE MONEY.(He's only human) Come on people. He knew damn well any album he released after Wide Awake and Digital Ash would make millions. Millions upon millions. So why not cut a deal with Saddle Creek and keep most of the profits along the way? They get their star, their publicity, and he gets a shitload of green. Hell of a lot easier than bending to the major label woes of advertising fees, and an all but boa-style constriction of artistic values.

The truth is...he's not like the rest of us. He lives in his own world. Completely. And it's dirty, dank, dark, and depressing in there. But, I think maybe for once, Conor Oberst crawled out and lived in the real world. Maybe just for a bit, and probably not very whole-heartedly, but he was here, and it shows.Big time.