In 2005, Conor Oberst satisfied both strands of his musical sensibilities with the stripped down Dylan impression that was I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and the more electronically experimental Digital Ash In A Digital Urn.
His band's new single, from the forthcoming Cassadaga album, is pretty much a combination of the two - as melodic as the best I'm Wide Awake could offer but with a much fuller sound, as other members of Bright Eyes such as stalwart Mike Mogis and fiddler Anton Patzner come to the fore.
It’s a whole minute of (almost) knees up country-rock before Oberst starts singing in his own fervently polemic way, which makes it slightly reminiscent of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. Soon though, Oberst starts singing about "great Satan" and the "whore of Babylon" accompanied by exemplary harmonies from the likes of the delectable Maria Taylor.
Brash, loud and fun, if this is a reliable portent for the quality of Cassadaga, we are possibly in for their greatest yet.
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