The album as a whole, is a collection of mellow acoustic songs, with the use of catchy riffs. There are some touchy subjects when it comes to the lyrics, but people can relate to some of the problems. It’s about experience and how some people get lost in horrible moments. Song by song the majority of them are a bit depressing but there are hints of hope. The first time I heard it I didn’t think much about it but the songs started to grow on me. The vocalist, Conor Oberst, is most of the brains of the band. He writes a majority of the songs. People are actually starting to call him the new Bob Dylan of this era. He is actually heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen both of which are brilliant poets and musicians. They are highly respected by there music. Bright Eyes did a great job in mixing the instruments, using seperate guitar tracks to sound like one. Also the use of organs, pianos and a some stringed instruments. The song that stuck out the most for me personally was "First Day of My Life". The song is beautifully written. He actually released the song in 1999, in a demo, but then re-released it in this album. Another song that stuck out for me was "Lua". It's just this simple acoustic song, with complex lyrics. The only thing that bothered me a bit was being reminded that life isn't all that pretty, but life isn't always about pretty flowers. I think everyone should take a listen to this album. You can relate to what he's saying, even if it's not the best moments that you relate to. —Daniel Hernandez Martinez