Bright Eyes have announced a new album. It will be called ‘Five Dice, All Threes’ and will be released on September 20 with luxury collaborations such as Cat Power and Matt Berninger from The National. The first single has just been released, it’s called ‘Bells and Whistles’ and it’s our Song of the Day today.
‘Bells and Whistles’ is a song sweetened with whistles, to the point of being almost summery. But we know this is not ‘Young Folks’ because Conor Oberst’s vocal take is torn and very rock’n’roll. With a certain humorous tone, he is singing about the hardships of life, of course, among a multitude of everyday references to pop culture.
The lyrics include, directly or indirectly, “Banksy, Princess Diana, the New York Mets, the Edendale bar and Kevin Costner’s best movie.” In many cases, the reference is bittersweet. From “the label asked me for a meet & greet / and I reluctantly accepted / because I didn’t know how to be alone” to “you shouldn’t go with the girl from SoHo, because she only wants materials.”
As for the album ‘Five Dice, All Threes’, we know that it will be self-produced. His label says that it is an “album of unusual intensity and tenderness” and defines it as a “communal exorcism and a personal excavation.” It speaks of the group work of the trio formed by Conor, Mike and Nate, although pointing out that Conor Oberst had not sounded so “confessional and spontaneous” for a long time.
1. Five Dice
2. Bells and Whistles
3. The Captain
4. Bas Jan Ader
5. Tiny Suicides
6. All Threes (with Cat Power)
7. Rainbow Overpass (feat. Alex Orange Drink)
8. Hate
9. Real Feel 105°
10. Spun Out
11. Trains Still Run On Time
12. The Time I Have Left (with Matt Berninger)
13. Tin Soldier Boy
