Artist: Bright Eyes
Full Title: Lifted Or The Story Is In the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Year: 2002
Label: Saddle Creek
Comments: Ok, so this review will be a la Glen. For the past two years I have adored Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning; it’s in my top ten favorite albums of all times. Now, I’ve heard some songs from various BE records, but I have not heard another album in its entirety, until now. And I must say after experiencing another BE LP, I am not as moved, sonically or spiritually. I tried my darnedest to get into this record, but it just wasn’t happening. I gave it 4/5 listens and it just never sent me flying off my rocker like IWAIM did. I’m suffering from classicalbumism, where you hear one album by an artist and you want everything else to sound like that gem. Well, don’t misconstrue me here, ‘Lifted’ is a sound recording and certainly worthy of at least a few listens. In fact, many of the styles later employed on IWAIM are displayed here, perhaps in a less accesible manner. The opening track, “The Big Picture,” however, drags on for far too long and would benefit from some trimming. On a positive note, I think Conor Oberst’s trademark, minor caterwoul and humorous declaritive language serves as a highly memorable way to close the LP in “Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and Be Loved).” Haha, great title! So, I have decided to leave this ungraded for now; time will tell how I feel about it. Who knows, in a few months, years, possibly, it may appear on my list of favorite albums. It has happened before.

Chris