I'm hoping he knocks it out of the park, but the reviews are very mixed. The sales move -- $7.99 each at Best Buy and I think at a few other outlets as well for the first week -- is bold and solid. It would be great if the public rallied to him.

Is he still dating Wynona, or is that over?

hmmm. I've not heard any Bright Eyes records, although I've been reading about him/them for several years. I did catch the recent Austin City Limits and I was really embarrased for the little guy.

I don't see/hear what all the fuss is about.

Ahh, sweet media saturation. I myself am going to see Mr. Oberst at Town Hall tomorrow night. I really like "I'm Wide Awake..." after a couple of spins. Any album that features Jim James from My Morning Jacket and Emmylou Harris, god's gift to guest vocals, is alright in my book. I think rumors of "Digital Ash..." being an electronic album are overstated. I was expecting it to sound like Postal Service. It seems just more conventionally straightforward to me, actually. Good stuff, though.

Well, I think the electronica is an apt descriptor when compared to his previous output, ya know? I just don't expect to hear him with a synth.

god, if I've heard of him, he must be overexposed. He was in last week's Time Out New York as one of those "25 Hot in 2005" articles that every goddamn magazine does around this time of year.

Blech. His interview was mega-pretentious.

Amen to mega-pretense. The second coming of Ryan Adams.

I was very surprised by I'm Wide Awake ... It's not at all what I expected it to be. You said you'd eat your hat if I didn't and as much as I'd like to see that, the floppy green number is safe.

Of course I'm never gonna tire of his mug either. I suspect for *entirely* different reasons.

While the reviews of "Digital Urn" have certainly been mixed, I don't think the same is entirely true of "Wide Awake." Case in point, a 92 from Metacritic.

I'm developing a little theory about why Conor is so devisive. You either love it or walk away going "man, I just don't get that." To be honest I sometimes allow myself not to "get" it, too, so I think I understand. I'm prattling. More tomorrow, dear readers.

Check allmusic.com -- real stinker of a review, from a critic who gets it and just basically doesn't like it at all. It's a testy review that isn't mean, but basically plants its feet and says, look, the guy's all right, but not more than that.

Time will tell. I've liked what I've heard up until now and I'll be as happy as anyone if the critics stop trying to tell me he's the new Dylan, which he ain't. Because there will never be another Dylan; because that was a Golden Age, and it's over now. Just being Bright Eyes should be good enough.

I think Mr. Allmusic.com (if that is your real name, sir) only marginally gets it. He's a bit jaded and the crux of his argument is that Conor isn't Cobain, Dylan, Young, McCartney, Stipe or Springsteen at their peak. Duh.

It's clearly the style (the chunky meter, the staggering rhythms, the frail warbling) that he doesn't like and those things really do make him different that the aforementioned others. It also, to my ears, makes him unique and interesting.

But what do I know. I kinda like the wallowing. I'm probably a "shallow poseur," too.

His name is Stephen Thomas Erlewine - allmusic.com bylines its reviews - and he's quite good. As far as the comparisons to Cobain, Dylan, Young, McCartney, Stipe or Springsteen at their peak, you'll want to remember that the second, the very second, that a normal person opines that Oberst is (dare we say) whiny, or precious, or not very tuneful, the trendorati leap in and cry "Oh yeah? Well what about (pick one) Cobain! Dylan! Young!"

I've always pegged Oberst as a solid cult artist, not bound or meant for the mainstream. A few odd twists and turns are bringing him a huge audience, and I hope it works out; but I don't think it will. To my ear the bulk of the reviewers who pulled him into the bright public light did so precisely because they were jaded, and he was simplicity itself taken in the light of the vast flow of dreck that is modern music.

I think it's funny that Pitchfork, which is the most asshatted and absurd of critical organs (sure they get things right, hell, we're pitching for a review there just like everyone else: but smug, trendy, and sniping? You betcha), is suddenly on the case and whooping. A bit behind the curve, boys.

By contrast, here Erlewine demystifies the mysterious with clean strokes, I think, and his opinion is clearly stated. He also reviews not only the record but also the Bright Eyes phenomenon, and I think he does it well.

"Far from being the second coming of Dylan, Oberst is as precious as Paul Simon, but without any sense of rhyme or meter or gift for imagery, puking out lines filled with cheap metaphors and clumsy words that don't scan. Supporters excuse this as soul-searching, but the heavy-handed pretension in the words and the affectedness in his delivery - not to mention the quavering bleat that's halfway between Feargal Sharkey and the Dead Milkmen's Rodney Anonymous - give the whole enterprise a sense of phoniness that's only enhanced by its unadorned production. When Oberst was swallowed in the deliberate grandeur of 'Lifted,' his drama queen theatrics fit the music, but here, they expose him for the shallow poseur he is."

I'm very curious to see how the sales go this week. Estimates range up to a preposterous 200K, I'm thinking everyone should be happy with 40K if they get that far, which is within reach.

Oh, I knew it was Erlewine. I was merely being cheeky.

You also seem to underestimate my own propensity towards smug, trendy and sniping :-) I'm not sure that Erlewine demystifies as much as he tries to devalue the theatrics, affectation and pretention. which, in certain doses, I adore. We'll agree to disagree...

You also seem to underestimate my own propensity towards smug, trendy and sniping...

Aha, I see. Must be the effects of hospital food.

I'm sorry, Linus..did you say 7.99 each @ Best Buy? Wow...didn't think masterpieces came priced below $10.

I've been meaning to pick them up for a few weeks now, but I'm swamped mentally @ work.

Just the thing I need to jolt my ass back in gear.

BTW...did anyone see the Austin City Limits with Wilco and Bright Eyes?

Excellent programming, indeed.

Ooooooooh, a pissing contest!

Score so far:

Linus -- fuller bladder
Mike -- better aim

What, what, WHAT? Really? Did it come off as that? I certainly wasn't trying to get into a pissing match! I apologize, Linus, if you thought I was being jerky!

I'm simply such a self-proclaimed snob that I find Obert's delicate pretention to be quite charming. That's all!

Besides, anyone who has hung around me for more than 15 minutes knows that I probably have Earth's smallest bladder.

I didn't think it was a pissing contest either, just a chat. But it's a good thing I drank all that PowerAde before I started typing, I guess. I didn't think you were being jerky at all, Mike.

It was a joke guys. Or it was meant to be one.

Mea maxima culpa.

No reason to apologize, Dennis. It got the comment count over the magical 20 barrier which hasn't happened in a while...

Hmph. You never comment on my blog. 8>

I'd like to apologize for all the apologizing...

I'm with Linus and Erlewine. Haven't heard the discs, just a few songs on KEXP, but I saw the Wilco/Bright Eyes ACL. He's not bad, but for my taste, too much affectation, theatrics etc. Liked seeing M Ward and Jim James join him on ACL, but his sideways, oh-so-intense, through-the-bangs stares at the camera were a bit too much. Phony phony.

Oberst. Oh Brother.