MY VIEW
Music: 'Digital Ash in a Digital Urn' by Bright Eyes

By Jessica Labrador
Special to The Advertiser

Conor Oberst, of Bright Eyes Gannett News Service The Verdict: . Worth a listen but its run in your CD player may not last long. THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely listen to it. 3 — Good: Worth listening to despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the group or singer, don't bother. 1 — Poor: Save your money (and your ears).

Release: Jan. 25

Style: Indie Pop

Rewind: "Easy/Lucky/Free"

Skip it: "Light Pollution"

My view: By 2002, Bright Eyes' lead singer-songwriter Conor Oberst had released his fourth full-length CD, "Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground," in addition to countless EPs. At only 24 years old, the accomplished Oberst has added to his impressive repertory "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn" — the sister disc to "I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning" as part of a simultaneous double release.

Here, Oberst has abandoned his folk guitar playing for the majority of the album and replaced it with electronic pop. Like any Bright Eyes album, the first track begins with a prolonged sort of audio scene that fades into song. The listener then proceeds to travel on a bipolar roller-coaster of heartbreak, lament and love laid mostly upon acoustic guitar — and, if they're lucky, will only have been mildly affected. But, as the actual song begins and the keyboards and percussion sounds, the absence of the trusty six-stringer hints at less to come.

The all-star indie lineup of contributors throughout the record include Jimmy Tamborello of DNTEL and The Postal Service who programmed the upbeat "Take it Easy (Love Nothing)"; and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

Also appearing is Maria Taylor of Saddle Creek labelmate Azure Ray in "Down in a Rabbit Hole," which illustrates the sorrow Bright Eyes is known for. Aside from Oberst's and Taylor's melancholy vocals, multiple layers of instruments establish an atmosphere echoing bleakness in the heavy reverb that fittingly accompanies the song's title.

In comparison to other Oberst creations, "Digital" is the weaker sibling trembling in the unfulfilled shoes of stronger previous releases. A signature of Bright Eyes' music is Oberst's ability to emote with a sometimes unbearably depressing intensity — mostly through his distinctly shaky voice and clever lyrics. However, watering down and washing away the raw vocals is the bubbly electronic indie-pop creating uniformity among the songs. This reduced emotion steals from the overall impression of the album and sadly disappoints. "Digital" is less than memorable and is evidence that a different direction isn't always a better direction.

Jessica Labrador is a senior at Waialua High School.

Have a video game or CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.