It’s been 3 years since Coner Oberst lasted toured in the UK under the moniker of Bright Eyes, the longest running of his several collaborations. There have been rumours that Bright Eyes is being retired, but there isn’t a hint of staleness from the performers tonight. It’s not easy to pinpoint a suitable genre; country intonations come from pedal steel guitar, folk reflections with an accordion and heavy electric guitars and ethereal keyboards give the music a rock edge and darkness. On the louder songs, drums beat out the same rhythm as the heart when it experiences anxiety, on the stripped back tracks Obersts voices quivers impeccably and echo’s like a lie.
The pulsating lights give fleeting images of the stage just as the lyrics give you fragmented glimpses of Oberst psyche. He has been compared to Neil Young for his poetic style, they are both storytellers, letting the lyrics paint the picture and using the instrumentation as decoration. Anger often fuelled by hypocrisy, is counterbalanced with a child like love for the beauty in life. Oberst celebrates the differences in people not the similarities in songs that urge you to be yourself.
Oberst moves around the stage awkwardly, his arms create angular shapes making him look as if he is a puppet with an angry master pulling the strings. His movements are in complete contrast to his attitude, which is anything but conformist. The stage bares no glistening props and Oberst looks like you have just disturbed him at home. He doesn’t talk much throughout the set but lets him emotions unravel through his lyrics. Not only is the gig a display of superb musicianship but also a glimpse of a songwriter that doesn’t correspond to what is expected of him.
Printed in Yorkshire Evening Post
Printed in Yorkshire Evening Post
