Bright Eyes Come To England

Conor Oberst has been a busy boy.

The tortured soul has been releasing songs since the age of 12. He's released nine albums under the Bright eyes name with a tenth to be released next year, titles 'The People's Key'. From 2008 Oberst then went on to release two albums with the Mystic Valley Band, travelling to the dusty dunes of Mexico, drinking too much and crafting amped-up folk-rock songs to a rapturous response. The two records with the Mystic Valley clan, 'Conor Oberst' and 'Outter South', demonstrated that Oberst was no longer affiliated with the fringe-flopped emo's who used to attempt association with the folk singer.



In 2009 Oberst then released an album under the title of 'Monsters Of Folk' with Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Mike Mogis who has recorded on albums by The Faint, Rilo Kiley and Bright Eyes. This was another stomp of variety for Conor. Time and time again he's proved himself to be more than just a folk singer. Analogies cast out comparing him to Dylan may be accurate in a sense that this man is one of the most gifted and virile song writers in the world, with ideas swirling around a cauldron of country-rock folk like some sort of Townes Van Zant shaman, but he's continually growing and can move away from the folk circuit as quickly as he can return to it.

When Oberst last played in the U.K under the Bright Eyes title it was at Glastonbury in 2007 (I believe - could be wrong) and under the influence the Omaha folk troubadour insulted one John Peel. But we'll put that in the past.



On June 23rd Bright Eyes will play the enigmatic Royal Albert Hall - a fine setting for such quaint bellowings of utter beauty. But take note! this is also the date of the Glastonbury weekend, so could Oberst be returning to that field in Sommerfet to repent for his sins? who knows, he works in mysterious ways...