Conor Oberst is quite an interesting musician. Whilst seeming overly pretentious and at times very much full of cheese, he still knows how to write music. One of the more in depth musicians of today (known well in the mainstream, at least), he incorperates his heart and soul into what he produces and in the end it results in some of the most emotional and personal performances I've heard in a while. He doesn't really outdo anybody he tries to equal (namely his idols), or makes such an album as to be regarded as the best of this age. The man is most defenitely capable though, and its albums like this that make me angry at him. Very angry, in the sense that he wants to push something onto his fans of massive magnitude but decides to hold back and answer our questions of him much like a significant other would answer you with a 'maybe'. Not something you enjoy, but still deal with right? That was my experience with him upon listening to all of his work. The majority of Conor's albums are so much mangled thoughts from his very own mind with close to no explanation makes it very difficult to get into. But I suppose thats what really makes a good artist as enjoyable as he/she/they are; people of such stature really need to not give a **** about what their fans and critics alike make of them. What better way to do that then to write a slew of indecipherable records? For the mass majority of his fans Conor creates an powerfully emotional atmosphere that drags itself through his songs and lets loose once in a while, making the specific song it chose a masterpiece of sorts. Nothing spectacularly breathtaking, but still uncommon art. Always enjoyed. So, where does
Fevers & Mirrors come in amongst such a tale of modern music? I honestly think this is his peak for both emotion and attitude based on his feelings of others. Namely close friends, significant others, family and fans. All alike, he writes for them telling a tale that never really ends. Just a spiraling portal that is his life conveyed musically. Nobody's life truly ends when your acknolwedged by so many and adored by them as well. It stays in peoples hearts forever. And forever is forever, you can't change that. He made a mark on the musical world that is very important, very harsh and should prove to be very influential. In the indie world, at least.
Speaking from a point of view that tells you
Fevers & Mirrors is the peak, I should employ what makes it so. Firstly, and as usual Mr. Oberst uses his witty writing techniques and forges the path for instrumental. I doubt there are better sides to his music than the lyrics, as they showcase his life like no other part of the band. Obviously. But this is a bit more special than what you think, as his lyrics aren't a story as much as a message. Like a moral...the lot of his songs are likely written to tell about experience, to convey to all of us what he thinks the world is like and what it should be. The man does a nice job, but as I said earlier he can't be taken as easily for other people. The other people who just simply don't listen to him, don't want to and can't enjoy his music. There are lots of those like any other artist, but its a bit deeper than that with Bright Eyes. His vocal/lyrics are pretty damned self-indulgent, and at their peak may either come off as a brilliant story or a self-demanding offense against the listener. His music sounds as though almost oblivious to the rest of the world (despite the influence drawn by people such as Ben Harper, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and even Jeff Mangum for his later releases) and very obsessesed.
Fevers & Mirrors feels like one of those projects come up with in a holed up studio with nobody but Conor and a few instruments. And some paper. Of course this probably wasn't the case but even so, if there was a theme to the album its escape. Escape of the music, not him literally from the studio. His lyrics go to show that, and tell you that he most defenitely wants a message splattered across the face of modern music. Despite being entirely unsuccessful it is still interesting and a very great example of imagery displaying Conor's most personal thoughts. Enough though I thought it was after his first few albums, this repeated reference to his life, but even so its still enjoyed always to hear what he has to say.
Fevers is defenitely Conor's most personal work, without a doubt.
To reach a goal so large as to display his situation to the world, and have it noticed Conor had to force into his music something other than poetry. Lyrics don't make a song, they help, but instruments really push the attempted emotion out to you. Conor makes a definitive effort and shows you what music of today should incorperate. Nevermind the pop and push it aside, not so far as to not notice it but just slide it enough to make it a side-dish. Now concentrate on your feelings and play them through the guitar. It really works, and Bright Eyes succeeds. Music is noise, is it not? What else makes noise that you possess? Vocal cords. Speaking is noise and is interpreted and percieved as the utmost ultimatum of civilization, as nothing useful could be accomplished without it (instruments would likely not be as fine-tuned as they are now by lacking the according communication to make them so). Instruments are much alike, and convey emotion just as well. Perhaps even more so? I'd think that. Conor's guitar is like a little brother on
Fevers, and proves itself as such by helping him along and showing his vocals the way, direction and proper spot. Younger siblings generally do that, they tell you whats right and wrong because admit it, they have a much better realization of whats right and wrong moreso than you. I don't care about their obvious young mistakes and fake ideals, ideas and false assumptions. They know what is bad, and you don't at an age older than say fifteen. Your twelve year old sister knows more than you about such a subject. Would you go out and illegaly purchase chemicals to make yourself feel better? Its highly likely. Would your younger sibling? Likely not. Would you spend time with a girl/boy and proceed to engage in sexual activities with them? Yes, for those who do that. Will somebody as underage as a younger brother? No, its almost easy to say that. Sex and drugs are a motivational point for older people. Conor's guitar tells him that this is wrong and he shouldn't be going there, rather here. Lower your pitch and fight the reserved feelings to make it crescendo so, its annoying and doesn't bring the song anywhere. In a metaphorical sense, his guitar is the bass for his voice. This combination employs a filling album, an album made through partnership, sadness, mixed emotions and bad as well as good past experiences when it comes to life itself.
So...as for
Fevers & Mirrors I'd like you to picture a very unique atmosphere. One so formidable and yet so weak, as in a person who tries to make themselves something they're most obviously not. The album does this very well.
Fevers destroys that detail. The entire record has a storybook feel, a morality theme and an even deeper personal ballad playing that none of us can actually hear. Conor makes you think his seemingly ingenious work is meant to convey a feeling of peaking emotion, provoking thoughts and controversial as well. Controversial thoughts in the sense that they rebel against what you already have on your mind, destroying the building and whole of your concentration and making you think otherwise. Its laughable when people try this. Doing it only holds up a flag of falling into his pretentious lyrics and poppy guitar work as a revolution of some kind. It really isn't, as you should see when listening to this Conor employs the basic techniques that make an epic folk record and makes them his own by adding a modern feel to it. So did Nick Drake's
Pink Moon or David Bowie's
Ziggy Stardust make you feel different, or have an opposite outlook on life? Perhaps not so enthralling of an effect it gave you as to shift that entirely. But you did realize those albums greatness as an influence and took into consideration the thought that went into it. If you haven't done so then I suppose its easy to be one of those who waltz right into Conor's emotional trap. Its a very vaccum-ish one. This album is no revolution to put it shortly and blunt. But it is required as a listen because its just a great musical combination courtesy of Conor, I suppose. I don't know, I was not present in his studio, but I do know that he wants to screw people over and doesn't much care for it. You can sense his mean spirited intentions amongst his lyrics, because simply you really don't get much more self -obsessed than that. Whilst probably just being an anthem for his own personal life, it still doesn't require the overly used emotion that riddles his albums.
Employing such techniques as raw but overlapping guitars, tortured vocals (in Conor Oberst form, you know, that faked weakness in his voice), a folk-pop combination incorperating tense emotion. His guitar does much more of the talking than he really does, as this is one of those albums in which the actual musicians make the valley of music to stand it, not the songwriter. Rare? No. New? Not really, as all music is based on what your playing and how your going about it. Conor Oberst plays with his soul, and writes with his heart. Typically you see raves stating the pouring of the soul into the lyrics and the wave of heart coming from the guitar. Its opposite here, as his lyrics are well-written but simply based on a whim, like a five minute mood swing. Ever get very angry at a person, and later, much sooner you feel very guilty? His songs on
Fevers & Mirrors carry this theme like a mother carries a baby. Its so obvious that he didn't make a peak with the lyrics, his other work contains much better effort
(Lifted or the Story Is). Its a forced kind of emotion that came to him in a split-second. He writes his lyrics like chords and writes his chords like lyrics. Thats the twist, his heart goes into the words and his embodiment lies in the talent he takes advantage of with his guitar. Its a folk album in a sense, like
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea would be. Its modern and really shows it. For the most part this is just a very emotional genre he makes for itself alone, like much of indie/alternative music does. Thats why its alternative, it can't be classified. My oh my does Conor realize this. Its terrible in a sense that people can't understand it to its fullest. At the same time, if you think, you'll get it.
Credits:
Conor...your like Trent Reznor, aren't you? Just with a little more aid.
