As with most of the Bright Eyes discography, their seventh album, The People’s Key, is a full meal of nuanced and climactic arrangements, half-confessional introspection, spiritual longing, and philosophy-bolstered rallying cries. Sonically, producer/multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis dresses up Conor Oberst’s ever-maturing craftsmanship as a songwriter and lyricist with welcomed other-worldly flourishes, from a touch of vocal robot effects and a pitch-bending flying saucer moment on “Beginner’s Mind” to the syncopated coda edits in the near-title track, “A Machine Spiritual (The People’s Key).” Fans of I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning (“Lua,” in particular) will love the gorgeous solo piano-backed “Ladder Song,” while Digital Ash in a Digital Urn apologists (like myself) will have no trouble getting through the six-and-a-half-minute closing jam, “One for You, One for Me.” Here’s hoping this isn’t the moniker’s swan song.
Without further ado, grab a big spoon and dive into The People’s Key, now streaming at NPR. Also, if you’d prefer to stream the album while watching Conor Oberst and friends hang out in their living room, enjoy the video below: