Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/20/2001
As comforting as an old sweater,
the Silver Jews return with
Bright Flight, another collection of
David Berman's witty, poignant, somehow reassuring songs. Though the easygoing sound of this album is in keeping with the rest of
Berman's work,
the Silver Jews' mercurial lineup affects the feel of each album. This time,
Berman's sweetheart,
Cassie Marrett, handles the backing vocal duties instead of sometime-
Silver Jew Stephen Malkmus, who was presumably too busy with
the Jicks to lend his services this time around. Consequently,
Bright Flight bears more than a passing resemblance to
The Natural Bridge, the other
Silver Jews album recorded without
Malkmus; though the group is definitely
Berman's project, both
The Natural Bridge and
Bright Flight feel more like solo albums than collaborative efforts. Basking in the warm production and pedal steel guitars of Nashville -- where
Berman relocated to record the album --
Bright Flight doesn't try to match the off-the-cuff sparkle of albums like
American Water. Instead, the album's polished sound draws more attention to
Berman's drawling voice and witty-yet-earnest lyrics, which ranges from silly puns like
"Horseleg Swastikas"' "Water doesn't give a damn" to evocative images like
"Time Will Break the World"'s "My horse's legs look like four brown shotguns." Many more examples abound on nearly every song (except the instrumental,
"Transylvania Blues," natch) but it's not necessary to follow
Berman's wordplay to enjoy the music. Songs like
"Slow Education," "Room Games and the Diamond Rain," and
"Tennessee" spotlight
the Silver Jews at their
singalong best; the brooding
"Time Will Break the World" finds
Berman at his most political; and
"Let's Not and Say We Did" and
"Friday Night Fever" add that slightly goofy sense of humor that makes every
Silver Jews album that much more fun. Though it's not as essential as
Starlite Walker or
American Water, having another
Silver Jews album is like having another birthday -- it's better than not having one.
~Heather Phares, All Music Guide
;)
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