Bright Eyes
Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005)
(Saddle Creek)
Conor Oberst is such a prolific talent and insightful poet, it’s surprising that he doesn’t just put out an exhaustive box-set of all these little masterpieces. But maybe it’s a good thing he has more restraint. Paring tracks down to one essential CD of material keeps fingers off the skip button. Noise Floor is not just for die-hard fans. “Soon You’ll be Leaving Your Man” is near perfect in its tender execution. And so is “Happy Birthday to Me,” a lament on the passing of time and friendships released in 2001, when he was 20. Even better could be “Seashell Tale” ; distorted guitars, mandolin and Wurlitzer transport the song to another era.
—Dave Hayden
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.