I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

It’s taken me a couple of weeks to get my head around this album. On my first listen, the album didn’t immediately grab me, until the final track hit. Something about it just clicked, and suddenly I felt compelled to go back and hear the whole thing again. On that second listen, it opened up for me in a big way. The mix of raw emotion and layered storytelling reminded me of a cross between Brand New and Black Country, New Road. Now a few weeks on it’s firmly in my regular rotation, a great album that rewards patience and revisiting.

I love Bright Eyes and it reminds me of all my sad white girl high school friends in the best way

F U still love this record

I wondered if someone would submit a Bright Eyes album and I'm happy to see it. I am not a huge Bright Eyes fan, but Conor Oberst is partially responsible for being the gateway to discovering so much music. In mid-2019 I got spotify and the song Dylan Thomas by Better Oblivion Community Center came up on a shuffle list. I really liked that song and it lead me to learn about Phoebe Bridgers whose music I loved. This was around the time Punisher was released and my love of her resulted in my learning about her band/friends boygenius and Lucy Dacus, which have all become some of my favourite music. The feedback loop continued and during covid I discovered so much new (to me) music. In fact it was because of these discoveries that lead me to this site in general which I started in December 2021 and 4 years later and thousands of hours of music later am still enjoying. Since then I've seen over 500 live shows (including multiple festivals and many repeats) and have fallen completely in love with the experience of live music. So Conor's music, even if I'm not the largest fan of it, has been very important to me. Since I'm a huge indie rock fan, I know how influential his music has been for musicians in the genre so it's a worthy inclusion. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Yes.

Very relaxing and soothing like a lot of the albums I listened to in the early part of the century. I’m sure I must’ve heard this back then but didn’t recall any of it. A soothing soundtrack for the day.

Never heard of this band before, loved this. it's not a perfect album and the slow sad style drags a little in the middle. but overall it's a great thoughtful piece.

Never heard of them so didn't know what to expect. A brilliant album 👍

"I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" is the best album of Bright Eyes. Full of amazing singer-songwriter songs with interesting (but often depressing) lyrics. The vocal contributions of Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch and Maria Taylor are quite lovely .

The more famous, acoustic sister album to Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, this album is quintessential Oberst, a young poet who sings of regrets and hopes all while simultaneously understanding and being confused. This is a beautiful collection of musings on young love and substance abuse, and everything in between. Some people criticize Oberst of being a bit too smart for his own good, but what it really boils down to is his conviction. He sings with conviction, but his conviction is in his lack of conclusions. Almost no music makes me cry, but this album sometimes does, the tears coming at different spots. “I’m happy just because I’ve found out that I’m really no one”. The realization that I, too, am pretty much a nobody is a freeing and joyful revelation. “If you love something, give it away”. I’ve been to the mountaintop where what I loved most was required of me. With the same two hands with which I freely and wholeheartedly received my gift, I rendered it back. And it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When I at last descended the mountain, I saw that I had grown old, and nothing mattered but that thing I loved.

It’s morning indeed

Very nice. I really like his voice and songwriting. 4 stars.

The best album by the world’s saddest band

This is certainly more entertaining than the next album (#328). Here's an excerpt from wiki: "Road to Joy" contains an interpolation of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". The title of the album is taken from a lyric in this song. Technically, this is an interpretation. An interpolation is using known data points to find a data point in-between the other two points. So if this were a jazz album, where you're listening to the notes that aren't there, I do not believe this to be the case for this album. It's more of a pun if you ask me... Now on to the review. This album really reminds me of Poi Dog. There's a melancholy upbeatness to it, and in a way, also reminds me of playing GTA. How is that possible?

Firdt day of my life is a life strange classic 4

This makes me feel like a teenager again. A good album definitely. But I think Cassadaga is much better and would have preferred that for this list.

One's never quite sure how to feel about this act – might be a bit of a fan without wanting to admit as much: clearly CO is a skilled lyricist and able to turn a memorable phrase. And the instrumentation and sound/tone is well judged here, with more alt country vibes than one expected. On the other hand, the wobbly/wavering vibrato is cause for concern – too obviously precious (if undeniably enthusiastic and fully committed);, too obsequious in its outreach, too performatively earnest/authentic (though sincere). And one doesn't want to be seen as in any way endorsing or encouraging the excesses of emo. Impressive its pairing with the digital album too. One gets haters' POV but still finds too much too like, too many elements working well, basically. Probably belongs on list proper.

Hey guys Riley from hivemind here

Pretty nice

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is on the charming side of twee rather than the boring side. It's a decent listen, engaging for the most part and definitely really well put together, it just doesn't really land for me in style. Doesn't lack substance though, solid 3.

Ganska skön platta.

Ok music, but didn't really stick with me

man whatever.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: First day of my life

Especie de folk-rock suave, con algún toque country. Se deja escuchar, aunque las canciones son bastante parecidas entre sí

Yet another folksy Americana album, but better than some of the many (many, many) other albums on the lists. Not flawless, not essential, not bad.

If the vocals are meant to carry the repetitive, uninspired instrumentals, then they're doing a pretty sore job – purely a matter of taste, but I just do not enjoy vocal-driven music where the focus is supposed to be on the narrative/delivery. There are flashes of interest where the instrumentals get a bit interesting and mesh well with the story being told, but mostly this is one step above a singer-songwriter LP. Understand why this was so significant in the early days of modern indie, but it just hasn't aged into something I enjoy.

This sort of twee alternative folk isn't my jam. 2/5.

Millennial indie folk bullshit. Sandwiched between early 2000s millennial indie folk bullshit (the Mountain Goats, the Microphones) and late 2000s millennial indie folk bullshit (Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes) is mid 2000s millennial indie folk bullshit (this, Iron + Wine, Kimya Dawson). The trajectory is as follows: distinct rock influence, stripped down post-twee, fleshed-out arrangements with chamber folk leanings. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is firmly in the "stripped down" category with very occasional moments of backsliding into rock influences. In truth I cannot find it in myself to enjoy this sort of folk music, but they did an admirable job on the songs. Oh well! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There are much better and more notable millennial indie folk bullshit albums to have on the list, so no.