Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground is the fourth album by Bright Eyes but the first album to really bring Conor Oberst into his element. Critics were starting to call him the “indie Bob Dylan” as a result of this album, a noble title but doesn’t really seem to fit correctly. Conor would be considered a lyrical poet in the wordy tradition but there is also something much more in the music. Bright Eyes delivered a solid, intricately produced album without the major monotony; it’s a deep personal album which we are privileged to listen to. To my mind and many others considered one of the best albums of 2002.
