sleepy jack

Previous Bright Eyes Reviews Here:
Letting Off The Happiness
Fevers and Mirrors
Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
Im Wide Awake, Its Morning
Four Winds EP

Bright Eyes "Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005)"



Label: Saddle Creek Records
Release Date: October 24, 2006
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Indie
Tracklist:
1. Mirrors and Fevers
2. I Will Be Grateful for This Day
3. Trees Get Wheeled Away
4. Drunk Kid Catholic
5. Spent on Rainy Days
6. The Vanishing Act
7. Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man
8. Blue Angels Air Show
9. Weather Reports
10. Seashell Tale
11. Bad Blood
12. Amy in the White Coat
13. Devil Town
14. I've Been Eating (For You)
15. Happy Birthday to Me (Feb. 15)
16. Motion Sickness
17. Act of Contrition
18. Hungry for a Holiday
19. When the Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass Again
20. Entry Way Song
21. It's Cool, We Can Still Be Friends

The album opens up with "Mirrors and Fevers" which is a song about being content with the way your life is going to play out, its basically just conor singing. Its a nice opening.

After that is "I Will Be Grateful for This Day" which is a plugged song that talks about a now teacher who Conor hooked up with, then a friend who did drugs to deal with his problems. The song is about moving on and shaping your own fate, and being optimistic about it all which is an interesting song to place after Mirrors and Fevers.

After that is "Trees Get Wheeled Away" the lyrics are obvious so I don't need to get into that. Its a slightly slow song, its electric and mostly deals with political issues.

Next is "Drunk Kid Catholic" which is piano driven. It basically says there isn't much difference between drunk kids and catholics they're both looking for something to be saved, and also talks about dealing with getting over a relationship. "every night I think I certainly won't ever sleep sober or alone and then suddenly it occurs to me i've slept alone before you."

Following that is "Spent on Rainy Days" with Britt Daniel. Which is a fast paced song with a nice vibe to it that talks about being a drug addict.

After that is "The Vanishing Act" which is a low qualityish recorded song. Its Conor singing and and acoustic guitar along with a piano thrown in towards the end. The song is basically about drinking yourself to death.

Then we have "Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man" the song is about a girl whos in a relationship she doesn't wanna be in anymore and hooking up with someone else. "Only in your closest friends do you confide the way you say you'll be seeing me oh, like it's so offhand I guess soon you will be leaving your man."

Next is "Blue Angels Air Show" I don't know when this was recorded exactly but I imagine around the time he was doing Letting Off The Happiness because he sounds crazy young. The lyrical theme also sounds like something from him being younger too "Claire's turning blonde for the summer, I guess the sunlight just soaks into her hair and she sits next to me on the motorboat and shyly replies as to which boy she likes at her school."

After that is "Weather Reports" which is about Maria Taylor (Azure Ray, Now Its Overhead) the lyrics have ties with Southern State which i'm pretty sure has ties with Messenger's Birds Song. I love how this song sounds especially the guitar riff. I'm very sure Maria Taylor sings on this one also.

Following that is "Seashell Tale" which is an M. Ward song, so that basically sets the sound. The lyrics are pretty sick and its basically a love. "And though my heart said, "Give me refuge in your dignity, my dear" all I could do was put a seashell to your ear"

Next is "Bad Blood" with the Album Leaf. Conors work with the Album Leaf was amazing. The song basically talks about a relationship gone wrong and "The bad blood that may have come between two good souls."

After that is "Amy In The White Coat", this song gives me chills. Conors voice is fantastic on it and the music sets the mood perfectly. Its about a father having sex with his daughter the song is crazy creepy.

Following that is "Devil Town" which is a Daniel Johnston cover. The song is really solid, it starts out with Conor singing "I was living in a devil town, didn't know it was a devil town, oh lord it really brings me down, about the devil town" then instruments come in, something about Johnston lyrics is amazing. Maria Taylor sings on this also, I think its her at least.

Next is "I've Been Eating (For You)" which is one of my favorite songs on the album. Its basically about getting fucked over by a girl.

After that is "Happy Birthday To Me (Feb. 15)", i'm pretty sure its about repressing someones death and then calling to talk about some problem, but the title is what mixes it up because February 15th is Conors birthday so I think its also about reflection, the song sends mixed messages. The song is pretty upbeat compared to the one before it its still slow but not mellow at all.

Following that is "Motion Sickness" which is a slowed down acoustic song the intro is pretty sounding with the violins and all that jazz. The song is basically about finding something constant.

After that its "Act of Contrition" I like the chord progression in this song it sounds so nice, I don't know when this was recorded but Conor sounds pretty young on this. It reminds me of something off of Water or Heres To Special Treatment. The lyrics are kind of childish and self-centered but thats what the charm is about to them, its basically about "And all of this open air has caused me to choke on your new found hope for me."

Next is "Hungry for a Holiday" which is also with the album leaf. Its a pretty song, him and the album leaf work well together. The song is basically about what the title describes, getting sick of the city and putting on a mask to fit into society. "You dreamt of mountains but sometimes a hole is more comfortable." Th

Following that is "When the Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass Again" which is an alternate version to When The Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under The Glass off of Fevers and Mirrors, I prefer this version its primarily piano. *copy and pastes analysis from fevers and mirrors review* The first part talks about how he won't desert his brother no matter how much he wishes to die. Then writing a letter to "Ruba", I personally think the last line refers to himself, another side of him. This whole song is from that sides perspective, a more innocent side sort of wondering what the hell happened.

After that is "Entry Way Song" which is my favorite song on the album, and possibly my favorite Bright Eyes song. Its just conor and an acoustic guitar and its about being saved by someone, this song is beautiful from beginning to end.

The final song is "It's Cool, We Can Still Be Friends", this song musically reminds me alot of Act Of Contrition i'm guessing thats probably because of how the guitar is though. The song is basically about trying to be friends after a relationship and Conor wanting more. Theres also a reference to Contrast and Compare in it.

This is a great compilation, its good all the way through and rather varied. Some songs seem just out of place on it but them being good songs makes up for it.

Recommended Tracks: Entry Way Song, Blue Angels Air Show, I've Been Eating (For You), Spent on Rainy Days, Weather Reports, Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man
Album Rating: 8/10
Download link: hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=FIQ5URQL

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tdoc210

Nice review ethan, this is easily my favourite bright eyes release.

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We went back there and they had come and hacked off every inoculated arm. There they were in a pile. A pile of little arms. And I remember... I... I... I cried. I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out. I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I want to remember it. I never want to forget it. I never want to forget. And then I realized... like I was shot... like I was shot with a diamond... a diamond bullet right through my forehead. And I thought: My God... the genius of that.