Bright Eyes' 'The People's Key'

For Bright Eyes, less has always been more. And on "The People's Key" (Saddle Creek), which ambitiously focuses on Conor Oberst's thoughts on religion and modern life, he's honed the music into the most direct Bright Eyes album yet. Sure, there are still odd, spoken-word observances from Randy Brewer, but there also are compact, indie-pop nuggets centering on doubts about the Holy Trinity ("Triple Spiral") and spare, electronic soundscapes about belief systems ("Approximated Sunlight"). This time, Bright Eyes got the balance right.

Bright Eyes

"The People's Key"

GRADE B+

BOTTOM LINE Conor Oberst weaves religion into his indie-rock