As someone who has been a fan of Bright Eyes and My Morning Jacket for years, Monsters of Folk's singular album as a super-group seems like a dead giveaway to work for this listener. The addition of M. Ward of She & Him and solo fame only strengthens the project further and solidifies this group as an important addition in the folk world during the 2000s when indie rock and folk music was dominating.

The center figures, in my mind, are Jim James and Conor Oberst. This should come as no ... read more

Early on in the album I felt like most of this album was forgettable, but halfway through things really started to really pick up for this debut solo release by Conor Oberst. I initially thought I had never listened to this debut in my youth when Oberst was really a guiding force for my indie rock/folk listening early on. However, as soon as I Don't Want to Die (In the Hospital) kicked in the album started to flood back to me, and this continued through Eagle on a Pole and NYC- Gone, Gone. By ... read more

I'm not sure why this is one of the most poorly received albums by Bright Eyes, aside from their collection of original songs. Although many of the albums prior to this one have far more standout tracks, The People's Key is a largely consistent album throughout and has steadily enjoyable if not amazing songs.

This album is thematically pretty enjoyable as well, with little sound clips spliced in that give The People's Key a sense of synergy that even their best work sometimes loses.

In ... read more

Well, if there's anything that can be said about this album, it's undeniably Blink 182 for better or worse. Their sound has largely remained the same, although it fit the act a little more and had more energy back in the 90s in their heyday and to some degree in the 2000s. It's not a sound that I have ever enjoyed, but I could at least understand the early appeal of the act.

Since the departure of Tom on guitar and vocals and the addition of Matt Skiba, the sound of Blink 182 has sounded even ... read more