Be like Mike (Mogis)

"Cassadaga" is a darn good listen
Oz writes about how awesome Conor Oberst is ... again



Some experts have declared the CD dead and archaic in the wake of the digital revolution. Artists have taken steps to entice fans to actually purchase a physical copy of the album – some artists like equally praised and maligned outfit Bright Eyes.
"Cassadaga," the seventh full length release on Saddle Creek from this Omaha troupe, appears like an artist’s static representation of white noise, but inside, the listener can find a "spectral decoder" that illuminates the ghostly world of the album, Ouija board style. This trick alone is worth the cost of the album.

Musically the album is pretty standard issue indie folk rock upon first listen, almost to the point of disappointment after the 2005 release, "I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning" and the build up of the "Four Winds" EP.

However, the power of the album lays not so much with the songwriting as with the production. The fact that nearly 30 songs were recorded for this album demonstrates leading man Conor Oberst has no want for material. However, the key to the songs that made the cut is the slick production by band member and sound engineer extraordinaire Mike Mogis and the arrangement of the strings and woodwinds by newest full time Bright Eyes member Nate Walcott.

The orchestral tones on the dissenting "No One Would Riot for Less," desperate "Make a Plan to Love Me," and Dust Bowl-esque "Middleman" save the tracks from falling into the overflowing pile of Oberst acoustic rants. It appears that, like 2002’s "Lifted," Conor has opened his doors again to a growing band of musicians, but this time, Mogis knew what to do with them. The slick production of the cumbersome opening track (a Bright Eyes tradition), "Clairaudients" sets the spectral stage and allows for a smooth and accessible transition into the rest of the album.

The songs reek of apocalyptic apprehensions, ethereal experiences and experimental spirituality, but fail to come full circle—a theme shoved down the listener’s throat during most songs. The first single, "Four Winds," with its punchy violin and gentle melody, portrays the imminent anthro-driven end of the world. Plus, what other song could so deftly talk about the "Whore of Babylon?" On "If the Brakeman Turns My Way" Oberst again throws his guts on the table—reminiscent of his early work—but this time the despair is less solipsistic, and the music and lyrics speak to maturity and profound questioning.

Oberst kisses off an older woman (who may or may not be ex-beau Winona Ryder) in "Classic Cars," where he mocks her preachy and condescending duplicity. Finally, "Soul Singer in the Session Band" returns to the cathartic themes of songs past starring a singer as the tortured and exposed artist, but this time brings in more veiled industry references. Although "Cassadaga" may not be the proverbial epic album that most were expecting, it still has a place in the Bright Eyes catalog.