Bright Eyes, Sometimes a crescendo.

Before I start, 2 things. First i know that this is not the most faithful definition of crescendo. Second this post is a month or so late, but whatever, I still want to write it. My house lost internet access for a few days before and after the concert I mentioned way back in my last post. Anyways, this post will be highlighting songs by Bright Eyes with a rising action.

A stylistic theme that runs through many of Bright Eyes' songs is a rising action culminating in the emotional apex, often followed by a steep decline. For a writer as emotional as he, this is a useful tactic for highlighting the main point of the song. Since all of it is emotional, the meat of the song needs to be differentiated.


You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will
In You Will... the crescendo not only aligns with increasing the volume and intensity of the song, but the clarity as well. When the song starts off it is just Connor and an acoustic; the sound quality is that of a cafe recording. It is quiet and muffled; the sounds of footsteps and people shifting is audible throughout the beginning. At around the 1:18 mark a percussion instrument joins in to beat time, likely a pair of claves. Then, the crescendo. At about 2:30 the sound quality increases to studio conditions, a full drum set, accordion, and some string instrument I can't identify join in. The lyrics are delivered more powerfully and a back up singer can be heard echoing Connor for a mild syncopated effect. The song abruptly ends while the lyrics make a realization that the singer has no real reason to believe what he is saying other than it is soothing and right in his eyes.

The subject of the song seems to be a recurring one. A girl that he met in his parent's attic is also mentioned in "Oh you are the roots that sleep beneath my feet and hold the Earth in place." Both have long ass titles and are annoying to write in a blog. The girl is likely also the "yellow bird" he references in a few other songs.



If Winter Ends
"If Winter Ends" starts with a static sound and a tone, with muffled hurried conversation audible in the background with other various sounds joining in. It reminds me of the garbled mind of a depressed person. Your mind races in every bad direction. No sense can be made of it, no solace in contemplating what troubles you;
only time, perhaps, can help. A guitar enters and Connor starts a singing while the white noise continues until about 1:20. At about 2:12 the crescendo hits. Connor's intensity approaches breaking point, the lyrics don't really rhyme, it's just a pure expression of emotion. The song fades out with a repetitious self-assurance, maybe meant to mimic the meaningless assurances friends pile on you when you're going through a rough patch.

This song has a strong emotional effect on me. While I'm already pretty good at crying on command if I get a few minutes (Thank you St Joe's acting class), this song can make me tear up with little effort if I really think about it and sing along while picturing Eddy, my last dog. A powerful song indeed.



Poison Oak
Back to my bread and butter. A bunch of great imagery with abstract meaning. The song is full of it, but not very evocative to me, as it seems to be a very personal song. Despite this I still enjoy the song very much. The crescendo in this song isn't as final as the other, and is more of a tempo change at the halfway point. Also unlike the other songs in this list, the crescendo ends calmly and happily. A song about childhood/growing up, this song leaves room for a happy conclusion.



Something Vague
Unlike most of the other songs in this post this song introduces all of the instruments pretty normally. The action rises as he talks about what I picture as a girl, but it could be him talking about himself or just a friend. The crescendo comes early, and is a change in subject that reminds me of A Day In The Life, by The Beatles. He begins to describe a dream he has, and this part of the song is delivered with greater intensity than what precedes and follows it. The crescendo ends with about 50 seconds left in the song and his voice returns to a soothing whisper.



Spent on Rainy Days?
The shortest song in this list doesn't leave much room for a crescendo, but he slips it in there. The song starts with just connor and a guitar, a bass and drums accompanying him about 20 seconds in. This song's low is not as low as the others in this song, which is fitting considering the content. This song combines drugs and bad relationships, which go well together anyways. The songs tempo matches the habits of a user, it has a fast tempo to begin with, but accelerates and rises to a sudden and short crescendo in the last 15 seconds. Then suddenly, the crash; with a sorrowful twinge of the guitar the song is over.