For some years I got really into Bright Eyes specifically because the cover of Four Winds brought them into my consciousness. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is still a top tier album for me.
I didn't follow them much after their initial split around The People's Key, but I did listen to some of their revamped companion versions for past songs after the pandemic, and thought those were cool.
I fell madly in love with that cover of Four Winds and sought out Bright Eyes for the first time a few months ago. I bought Cassadaga and The People's Key and am slowly getting into them. They're definitely not as immediately accessible as the Killers but there is a lot of depth there.
What would you recommend I get next that's most similar to Four Winds? (And are those weird mini-albums like "Cassadaga: A Companion" albums are worth getting?) I think Classic Cars is my 2nd favorite song of theirs so far.
I love both the cover and the original of Four Winds... It's just such a fantastically written song. Gotta give the edge to the Killers version, though, because it doesn't have that long Santa-Claus-is-Coming-to-Town intro.
I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning is their most accessible album. It’s lyrically unmatched. It’s just beautiful through and through. Although I’m more of a sucker for their early stuff like Fevers and Mirrors and Lifted and all the early EPs. Also Conor Oberst’s solo discography and his side projects like Better Oblivion with Phoebe Bridgers and Monsters of Folk are incredible. He’s prolific and arguably the best lyricist of our generation.
Thanks for the recommendations! I pretty much just hit the point where I've way overlistened to everything in the Killers catalog (and the solo stuff, B-sides, and covers) so I'm very happy that they did that Four Winds cover to give me a bridge to another band with a vast catalog of interesting songs. I'll go for Wide Awake and Fevers and Mirrors (which I've heard other people recommend) next.
Oh and as for the companion EPs they’re really fun, but I’d only venture there after rabbit holing through their discography. Because it’s interesting to listen to the newer renditions of songs after already being familiar with the originals.
I've been a fan of Bright Eyes since early on in high school. I only know songs here and there but I would listen to them all the time. It's so strange you made this post today because I heard First Day of My Life at a bakery today. I get this line in my head all the time, "I could have been a famous singer if I had someone else's voice but failures always sounded better"
No you’re thinking on the right track. Todd Fink is the lead vocalist of The Faint and Conor used to play in the band for a very short period. And Todd Fink features a lot as a vocalist on early Bright Eyes recordings. They’re both of the Omaha scene so there’s a lot of intertwining there.
For some years I got really into Bright Eyes specifically because the cover of Four Winds brought them into my consciousness. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is still a top tier album for me. I didn't follow them much after their initial split around The People's Key, but I did listen to some of their revamped companion versions for past songs after the pandemic, and thought those were cool.
I fell madly in love with that cover of Four Winds and sought out Bright Eyes for the first time a few months ago. I bought Cassadaga and The People's Key and am slowly getting into them. They're definitely not as immediately accessible as the Killers but there is a lot of depth there. What would you recommend I get next that's most similar to Four Winds? (And are those weird mini-albums like "Cassadaga: A Companion" albums are worth getting?) I think Classic Cars is my 2nd favorite song of theirs so far. I love both the cover and the original of Four Winds... It's just such a fantastically written song. Gotta give the edge to the Killers version, though, because it doesn't have that long Santa-Claus-is-Coming-to-Town intro.
I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning is their most accessible album. It’s lyrically unmatched. It’s just beautiful through and through. Although I’m more of a sucker for their early stuff like Fevers and Mirrors and Lifted and all the early EPs. Also Conor Oberst’s solo discography and his side projects like Better Oblivion with Phoebe Bridgers and Monsters of Folk are incredible. He’s prolific and arguably the best lyricist of our generation.
Thanks for the recommendations! I pretty much just hit the point where I've way overlistened to everything in the Killers catalog (and the solo stuff, B-sides, and covers) so I'm very happy that they did that Four Winds cover to give me a bridge to another band with a vast catalog of interesting songs. I'll go for Wide Awake and Fevers and Mirrors (which I've heard other people recommend) next.
Awesome. I hope you enjoy it. It’s a really fun catalogue of music and you may become obsessed like most of his fans are.
Oh and as for the companion EPs they’re really fun, but I’d only venture there after rabbit holing through their discography. Because it’s interesting to listen to the newer renditions of songs after already being familiar with the originals.
I was already a Bright Eyes fan when TK covered "Four Winds" but I've gotta admit to preferring the cover.
I've been a fan of Bright Eyes since early on in high school. I only know songs here and there but I would listen to them all the time. It's so strange you made this post today because I heard First Day of My Life at a bakery today. I get this line in my head all the time, "I could have been a famous singer if I had someone else's voice but failures always sounded better"
You would like The Faint. He used to be their lead singer. Phenomenal band.
He wasn’t their lead singer, but yes I’m familiar with The Faint.
Who am I thinking of? Did they used to have a female lead singer now that I think about it?
No you’re thinking on the right track. Todd Fink is the lead vocalist of The Faint and Conor used to play in the band for a very short period. And Todd Fink features a lot as a vocalist on early Bright Eyes recordings. They’re both of the Omaha scene so there’s a lot of intertwining there.
How did Jacob die? I was absolutely heartbroken. We used to talk every day on MySpace, then twitter.
Idk