Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was
Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was is the tenth studio album by American band Bright Eyes. The album marked the band's first release in nearly a decade, following "The People's Key" in 2011. It was released by Dead Oceans on August 21, 2020, and it was their first album not released by Saddle Creek Records. The album was recorded at Electro-Vox and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska. The album features musical contributions from drummer Jon Theodore and Red Hot  Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who had previously recorded The Mars Volta's 2003 debut studio record "De-loused in the Comatorium" together. "Down in the Weeds" was preceded by four singles: "Persona Non Grata", "Forced Convalescence", "One and Done", and "Mariana Trench". The album received favorable reviews from critics and peaked at #36 on the "Billboard" 200. Background and recording. In 2009, Conor Oberst suggested that the next Bright Eyes album would be the band's last, after which he would retire the project. In February 2011, the band released their ninth studio album "The People's Key". However, shortly  thereafter Oberst told "Rolling Stone" that he was "definitely not making it official" as to whether the album would be the band's last. The band performed their last show in Honolulu, Hawaii on November 21, 2011. Bright Eyes went on an unofficial hiatus as members Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott each pursued different projects. However, all three members remained in close contact with each other. Oberst, who lives in Omaha, Nebraska and Los Angeles, California, lives next door to Mogis in Omaha and minutes away from Walcott in Los Angeles. During the hiatus, Oberst released three solo  albums: "Upside Down Mountain" (2014), "Ruminations" (2016), and "Salutations" (2017). Oberst also released a second Desaparecidos album, "Payola" (2015), and formed the indie rock project Better Oblivion Community Center with Phoebe Bridgers, releasing an eponymous album in 2019. In 2014, Mogis and Walcott composed the soundtrack for "The Fault in Our Stars", based on the novel of the same name by John Green. During the hiatus, Mogis also provided musical and technical contributions to music by other artists, while Walcott provided musical and songwriting contributions to other artists' music and scored other films. Walcott also worked as a touring member  of other musical groups, including Broken Bells and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In the November 2016 issue of "Uncut", Oberst expressed doubt as to whether or not "The People's Key" would be the band's final album and revealed that Bright Eyes "still talk about doing another record." Bright Eyes' return began at a Christmas party in 2017 at Walcott's house. Oberst pitched the idea of regrouping Bright Eyes to Walcott, and he and Walcott huddled in a bathroom and called Mogis over FaceTime, who was Christmas shopping at a mall in Omaha. Mogis agreed to regroup, and  the band began working again. It was a collaborative effort, with the band writing material for the album in Omaha and California. The album was recorded in 2019 at Mogis' ARC Studios in Omaha, and at Electro-Vox Recording Studios and Capitol Studios, both located in Los Angeles. The album also features contributions from drummer Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age, One Day as a Lion) and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. The album is dedicated to Oberst's brother Matt, who died in November 2016. The album also comes in the aftermath of Oberst 's divorce in 2017 from Corina Figueroa Escamilla, whom he was married to for seven years. However, she is featured speaking in Spanish on the album's opening track, "Pageturners Rag". Release. On January 9, 2020, Bright Eyes teased a comeback on their social media accounts with a cryptic animation alongside the hashtag "#BrightEyes2020". On January 21, 2020, the band announced their return with a series of 2020 tour dates, their first live performances in nine years. The band scheduled performances in Tokyo in March, Los Angeles in May, New York City in June, and at England's End of  the Road Festival in September. They band also announced plans to release new music and revealed Bright Eyes had signed to Dead Oceans. Before signing to Dead Oceans, Bright Eyes had released all of their studio albums on Saddle Creek Records. On February 18, 2020, Bright Eyes announced a North American tour for May–June 2020, supported by Lucy Dacus, Lavender Diamond, and Japanese Breakfast. They also announced a UK and European tour for August–September 2020. On April 24, 2020, Bright Eyes cancelled most of the scheduled North American tour dates and postponed the remaining dates due to the  COVID-19 pandemic. On May 23, 2020, the band cancelled dates on the scheduled UK and European tour and postponed the remaining dates to 2021. The band performed the first show of their tour on July 27, 2021, at Artpark Amphitheatre in Lewiston, New York. "Persona Non Grata" was released as the album's lead single on March 24, 2020. "Forced Convalescence" was released as the second single on April 21, 2020. "One and Done" was released as the third single on May 27, 2020. "Mariana Trench" was released as the fourth single on June 22, 2020, and was performed the  same day by Bright Eyes on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". The album's title, artwork, tracklisting, and release date were also announced the same day. "Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was" was released by Dead Oceans on August 21, 2020. The band gave a track-by-track breakdown of the album for Apple Music. Artwork. The album's artwork was created by Zack Nipper, a former Saddle Creek Records graphic designer, who designed the cover artwork for most of Bright Eyes' previous albums. Nipper previously won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for his  work on the Bright Eyes album "Cassadaga" (2007). Critical reception. "Down in the Weeds" received favorable reviews from music critics. The album has a score of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 24 reviews. Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote that "it continues Bright Eyes' evolution without skipping a beat, and manages to be one of their stronger records in the process." Bud Scoppa of "Uncut" gave the album a 9/10, praising the "opulent orchestrations and chorales rendering Oberst's tremulous outpourings that much more existentially fraught." Tom Doyle of "Q" praised the album's "smart  audio trickery and intriguing atmosphere" as well as Oberst's vocals for being "less nervy and whiny and more restrained and affecting". Tom Hull was less impressed, giving the album a B-plus and finding its extensive musical accomplishment ostensibly significant but not entirely worth exploring. Personnel. Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Musicians. Bright Eyes Additional musicians