Categories : Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 4.5/5 Released: April 10, 2007 Reviewer: David Coats |
One of the most anticipated releases of the year is Connor Oberst’s (Bright Eyes) follow-up to his dual 2005 release of Digital Ash In A Digital Urn and I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. While Digital Ash was a largely electronic affair, I’m Wide Awake was stripped down country-folk; Cassadaga, though it clearly has more in common with Wide Awake, really is a different sounding record than either of its predecessors.
Cassadaga is a record full of adventurous songs with complex arrangements (particularly the liberal use of strings) that give the record a much richer sound while retaining its folk charm, especially on standout tracks ‘Clairaudients,’ ‘Make A Plan To Love Me,’ and lead single ‘Four Winds.’ In addition, Oberst’s vocals are light years better this time out – his weary-yet-feisty, cynical-yet-sincere voice can now be considered a legitimate asset rather than his greatest detriment. Oberst continues to evolve into one of our best songwriters (somehow living up to the pressure of being described as this generation’s Bob Dylan since his teens), not only in terms of topics (politics, religion, and alt-country storytelling about characters from bygone eras) but also stylistically (for instance, the brilliantly written opening lyric, “Corporate or Colonial / The Movement is unstoppable / Like the body of a centerfold it spreads”). Oberst is assisted by a wide range of collaborators, including members of Sleater-Kinney, Rilo Kiley, and the great Gillian Welch.
Oberst is still signed to Saddle Creek, and is considered a card-carrying member of the indie-rock community, but Cassadaga (through its richness, instrumentation, marketing, etc.) comes across almost as a ‘post-alt-country’ record. Oberst has the potential to alter the direction of an entire genre, and though he may try something entirely different next time (such as he did with Digital Ash), as Oberst grows, so does alt-country. Listeners needn’t worry about him getting too big yet, though – this is as good a record as you’re likely to hear this year.
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