y coincidence or not, this EP, the fourth in an ongoing collaborative series, brings together two of the most commanding presences in music this year.


Bright Eyes (né Connor Oberst) not only gained acceptance in mainstream outlets like Spin, Rolling Stone, NPR and MTV, but amongst indie factions as well following the release of his most er, mature work to date, last month’s Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground. Meanwhile, Britt Daniel of Spoon has recently been obscured by mountains of accolades in the wake of that group’s stunning Kill The Moonlight album. Alas, a collaboration between the two should be a more than alluring proposition to fans of either artist. (And yes, actual contact was involved between the two parties; the songs were recorded over a few days in Oberst’s basement then mixed in Texas by Daniels and his perpetual cohort, Jim Eno.) Personally, I have never been a fan of young Connor’s stark, shrieking manifestos and I failed to be swayed by Lifted...’s lush advancements, yet when grounded by Daniel’s trademark sincere and melodic no-bullshit approach, Oberst acquits himself quite formidably.


The four songs included here are divided into three categories: two were co-written by the duo, one is a Bright Eyes original, and one was penned by Daniel. The opener, “Spent On Rainy Days” is the best of the dueling collaborative tracks. The lead vocal by Oberst is delivered in his instantly recognizable waver, but fares much better when superimposed over a terse, jaunty tempo. When the tune abruptly explodes into a hoarse call and response between the two, it doesn’t feel overwhelming or contrived, but liberating, and at 2:07, it hardly grates. “You Get Yours” follows with another co-written effort that recalls Kill The Moonlight’s austere keyboard driven rockers, and comes off sounding genuinely like a power pop Suicide. Needless to say it’s an impressive track.


On the solo side of things, Oberst’s meandering “Southern State” oozes with a slightly theatrical, but refreshingly unpretentious gleam that belies its lo-fi trappings. Over a lilting drum figure, he spins the tale of something or another about bitter love while Daniel tenders a fantastic fandango guitar. Stylistically, the song offers yet another change, this time resembling Modest Mouse at their late 90’s peak. It’s during moments like this that I fortunately forget how self-indulgent and taste corrosive Oberst’s back catalogue is.


Closing the disc is Daniel‘s “Let The Distance Bring Us Together” which giddily reiterates his position as (arguably) the best pop songwriter in the country. From A Series of Sneaks through Love Ways, Girls Can Tell and Moonlight, Britt Daniel has been building one of the most timeless portfolios in indie rock. “Distance” builds on the army of strengths and idiosyncrasies that he has accrued and exposes them in one spry three minute burst of piano, tambourine and acoustic guitar. Most of the better songs recorded this year can only be found on his own album.In just thirteen minutes, this EP packs in so many styles, timbres, and hooks that it straddles the respective brinks of explosion and implosion. The music here is the result of talent presented in its purest forms: emergence and full realization. For Post-Parlo Records to commission its integration is a pretty impressive thing. Music like this demands your attention.