Bright Eyes | B+

Bright Eyes's seventh and said to be last album, The People's Key, is a reflection upon the past to refresh for the future. As the album's lyrics are intricate and philosophical, it sounds as if the album is a writer's journal put to music. Definitely their loudest album yet, Bright Eyes center on various personal experiences including growing up in the music business. Along with their thoughtful lyrics, The People's Key strays away from their original folk sound. Taking on a pure rock approach, Bright Eyes show a true progression from their last album, Cassadaga released in 2007. Their new maturity is apparent, as the album's production is the band's cleanest yet.

"Approximate Sunlight" has a tight production with a simple kick drum and snare flourish to complement frontman Conor Oberst's vocals. He layers on top of the sound with his angsty voice, making the song one of the album's best. Putting down the guitar, Oberst experiments with the piano on "Ladder Song." As the new instrument accentuates Oberst's voice, the song takes on a soft but haunting tone. Oberst croons, "No one knows where the ladders goes, you're gonna lose what you love the most."

To lighten up the mood, Bright Eyes follows "Ladder Song" with their most inspirational song on the album, "One for You, One for Me." A song about equality and acceptance, the track starts and ends with the preaching from Refried Ice Cream's guitarist, Denny Brewer. Brewer throws around powerful words like "love," "bliss" and "mercy" to send out the important message of forgiveness and tolerance. In his so-called teachings he rambles, "And that's the human race. When there's total enlightenment, there will be peace, the world will be in bliss." The desirable track concludes the album and Brewer's message gives a powerful and unforgettable close.