No I am not going to write a Bright Eyes review. There, I said it.

I just listened to the new Bright Eyes CD and of course there are already too many reviews out there (here's one from Popmatters and one from Pitchfork) for me to throw my hat in the ring on this one without endlessly repeating what everybody has already said.

So I wont.

For the record, my feelings for this record lie somewhere in between both aforementioned reviews : a classic with cracks at the seams....I'm just not sure if the cracks add to the beauty or take away from it. While the arrangements and the production are as polished as anything you'll hear this year (for better or for worse), the lyrics, as always with Conor Oberst, are sung with such yearning, with such frailty that tiny pieces of your heart break after each song. And while I'm at it, with lyrics like:

"Little soldier, little insect/ You know war, it has no heart/ It will kill you in the sunshine/ Or just as happily in the dark"

"No One Would Riot For Less" should be a required listen for a certain war-hungry president to the south of the Great White North if you ask me.

I've decided to do a bit of research on Conor Oberst's title for the record, Cassadaga, which refers to a 112-year old spiritual retreat situated in Central Florida. Here's an excerpt of the history of the community :

As a young man from New York, George Colby was told during a séance that he would someday be instrumental in founding a Spiritualist community in the South.

That prophecy was fulfilled in 1875, when Colby was led through the wilderness of Central Florida by his spirit guide "Seneca" to an area surrounded by uncommon hills.

Colby homesteaded land and in 1895 deeded over 35 acres to the newly incorporated Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association.

Colby was ill with TB when he arrived in the area. Rumor has it that a small spring located on his homestead provided the elixir that healed him.

Volusia County has purchased 110 acres of adjoining property with the goal of preserving sensitive environmental species and the historical significance of the site.

So without going through all the details, this place has quite the history indeed. Hmmm...a community surrounded by ghosts and spiritual folk...Oh the stories they could tell.

I'm glad that Conor Oberst listened.

Bright Eyes - Four Winds [mp3]

Bright Eyes - No One Would Riot For Less [mp3]