From the first listen, it's clear that in I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Conor Oberst, at 25 years old, is giving something of himself to his listeners: he's telling stories, painting pictures, inviting us to sit by the campfire and converse. Part folk, part blues, part rock, this Bright Eyes album delivers the soulful sound of a country twang dragged alongside an urban landscape. Oberst's candid lyrics, which read as though they pour straight from a private journal, match the stripped-to-the-bones quality of his voice and the usual backdrop of simplistic guitar riffs. Despite his age, you can hear the smoke of the thousands of cigarettes that have crept down his throat to produce a raw and eager tone. He is joined on several tracks by Emmylou Harris and Jim James of My Morning Jacket, who contribute to the warm, sing-a-long motif that much of this album delivers. I'm Wide Awake is intimate and honest, and these qualities are what make this album an inspired and complete work.