Five Dice, All Threes is a record of uncommon intensity and tenderness,
communal exorcism and personal excavation. These are, of course, qualities
that fans have come to expect from Bright Eyes, nearly three decades into
their career. The tight-knit band of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate
Walcott tends to operate in distinct sweeping movements: each unique in its
sound and story but unified by a sense of ambition and ever-growing
emotional stakes. Even with this rich history behind them, these new songs
exude a visceral thrill like nothing they have attempted before. Oberst has
always sung in a voice that conveys a sense of life-or-death gravity. At times
throughout Five Dice, All Threes, you may feel worried for him; other times, he
may seem like the only one with the clarity to get us out of this mess.
