Bright Eyes

Bob Dylan comparisons have followed Conor Oberst's Bright Eyes ever since he mesmerized the indie rock elite with the erratic folk of Fevers and Mirrors (2000) — this was the band's third album overall, but the inaugural release from London-based Wichita Recordings. In particular, 2005's "When the President Talks to God" reminded us that a simply delivered, cleverly-penned protest song could still turn heads and change minds. "First Day of My Life" showcases Oberst's ability to set emotional vulnerability within a prettily tinkling Simon & Garfunkel-style melody, while "Road to Joy" smartly borrows Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as a starting point.

Bright Eyes takes on Feist . . . in front of an audience, in Next Steps.

Maybe it's the sincere quaver in his delivery. Or the sudden outbursts scattered about his brittle ballads of hopeless romantics and those who don't believe in love at all. Whatever the reason, Bright Eyes prime mover Conor Oberst is a warm, welcoming presence, the kind of writer whose stories require the reader to follow straight to the end . . . and the fact that he's wildly prolific means there's plenty to discover. Our exploration of his trove of EPs, singles, and LPs continues with "Hot Knives", a hugely enjoyable moment on the well-rounded Cassadaga (2007), as well as a snappy live cover of Feist's "Mushaboom", and the excellent "I Know You" (a collaboration with Neva Dinova).

The impressive back-catalogue of Nebraska-native Conor Oberst (born 1980) is, considering his relative youth, quite incredible: hence the hoop-la over his abnormally accomplished career. Students love him like they used to love Pavement and the Pixies, Dylan archivists chart his every movement as if he were Bob incarnate, and open-minded modern-rock listeners are intrigued by his every move. These tracks are not all of the neo-folk variety, either — alt-country, chamber rock, and synth-pop also get a look-in — and Oberst is still rewriting the history of subversive, 21st-century pop music even though it seems like, post-2010, Bright Eyes is headed for the back-burner . . . that's why our Oberst overview contains a diversion into post-2008 project the Mystic Valley Band as well as several distinctly Oberstian contributions to the Monsters of Folk alt-supergroup.