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Desaparecidos

Read Music / Speak Spanish (2002)
Saddle Creek Records

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Contributed by: whendovescry
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on April 8th 2002

Saddle Creek Records looooooves them concepts.

As CURSIVE's Domestica was essentially conceptual, so is the band, The (Los) Desaparecidos. BRIGHT EYES' tragic hero, Conor Oberst, takes his shot at urban sprawl, minimum wage and many other politi-punk topics while keeping it dreadfully bleak (and unashamedly typical) Saddle Creek emo.

Trading in his awkward acoustic for a gritty half-stack, Oberst and members of various other Omaha based indie-rock ventures recycle BRIGHT EYES' chord progressions, add CURSIVE-esque leads (disappointingly dumbed down) and sloppy bass-snare drums to sound like a drunk, pissed off and well-read JIMMY EAT WORLD (devoid of singing lessons as well).

All roads lead to mediocrity in the market of emo-core-punk-pop, but LOS DESAPARECIDOS comes off sounding like seventeen-year-olds with a digital eight track, bones to pick and a talent to throw down rock in a genre defined by gloss and clout.

Oberst is yet to write song that does not hit hard and creep down one's spine with his signature overly vibrato baritone and even supplanting self-depricating verse with anti-establishment rhetoric he sounds worthy of empathy or at least a hug.

"Happiest Place On Earth," takes center stage with a creeping sense of anger and a pleasing break out with corresponding lead. Some tracks are laced with Fevers and Mirrors-like keyboard, often floating and dissonant, while the muddy guitars collide over and over again, jolting one into quiet sumbmission.

"Yes Connor, I believe you. We will buy that house next to the park," you whisper to no one.

So roll down the windows, play pretend and let the dry Nebraska air blow through your greasy black hair on one's way to the video store to rent Fight Club and turn up the treble. Any given post-pubescent human can match vocals with Oberst, so let it rip.

This reviewer has only one question:

Is Omaha that bad?

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meholicj (June 13, 2010)

yes this is a shitty review...but fuck it this is an amazing album.

laserguidedbygod (August 15, 2009)

God, this review is awful.

shawnk00 (January 25, 2007)

are you kidding me?

four stars?

wow.. grow a brain.

Anonymous (June 17, 2006)

Oh, my world. It is ok

Anonymous (January 5, 2005)

Great stuff, god Conner rocks, and all you who disagree or dont like bright eyes are stupid faces and eat poo poo

Anonymous (November 7, 2004)

I honestly believed Bright Eyes to be the antichrist before I heard this cd. but damn.... this shit rocks.

Anonymous (September 17, 2004)

All i have to say is that this cd fucking kicks ass f. I. N talented people on this cd especialy mr. Coner oberst ^_^
^-^

Anonymous (September 17, 2004)

All i have to say is that this cd fucking kicks ass f. I. N talented people on this cd especialy mr. Coner oberst ^_^
^-^

Anonymous (March 29, 2004)

The guitars and drums sound like shit, the riffs are not creative, the entire record is complaints about commercialism and capitalism, there is nothing original about this record. Besides all that, it sounds like nothing I've ever heard. This is one of my favorite cd's ever

Anonymous (November 30, 2003)

ok first of all the cd fucking rocks, 2nd the review blew, and third the cd fucking rocks

Anonymous (November 30, 2003)

Well.

As much as I really don't like emo music, I've always loved Bright Eyes. Obherst is seriously the best lyricist I've ever heard in my life, especially evident on the Letting of the Happiness album. In fact, If Winter Ends is probably one of my favorite songs.

But back on topic, I thought THIS release was really good, a lot of fun to listen to for a bit. Not on my favorite albums of all time list or anything, but a good, fun album.

blood_brothers_are_good (November 16, 2003)

is it jsut me or did you trash the album and then give it a 4, what the hell? that said, i love this shit

Leandro (August 25, 2003)

Anonymous (January 19, 2003)

Take it from an elder punk, when y'all get older, and one day you wake up and realize your life is nothing like you envisioned, well, you've got Conor Oberst's lyrics on this one to say it all for you.

randallp (January 10, 2003)

Great album. The lyrics are great. It's like Desa is speaking for me when I get pissed about the new Starbucks on the corner of my small farm town.

Anonymous (January 7, 2003)

this conner obhurst kid really is overrated. i don't see any 'genius' qualities, and bright eyes is crap. but this is a decent record.

Anonymous (October 2, 2002)

thats probably cause creed sucks.

Anonymous (June 2, 2002)

I went to my first Desaparecidos show with only hearing one of there songs. Just sounded like conor at his usual amazing lyrics, simple music behind it. Then i saw them play, comon grounds in Gainsville FL. I was blown away, Conor comes on stage drunk. Durning the show he nocks the mic over twice, ones hitting a girl in the head, the second time it swung back and smacked him in the mouth. He screwed up a couple times, all of that made it the best show i have ever seen, living in florida, i get a lot of shows, i've seen a lot of great line-ups. i can't remember the othetr bands that played even, yet Desaparecidos could play with creed and it would still be amazing.

Anonymous (April 17, 2002)

i don't even like this bright eyes garbage but this album is good. it isn't about political rhetoric or rehashed boring unoriginal unfeeling songs about bland relationships that might mean something to the people that lived them if anyone at all. its about growing up and having to deal with money and life being less than what you thought it would be, like most bruce springsteen ablums. if you break an album down bit by bit until its analyzed like it is in this review its not too impressive but in reality we got something here.

whendovescry (April 10, 2002)

Chill comrade.

I was just commenting on the bleak music coming out of Omaha. Does my hometown (STL) have exestentialist prophetic songwriters coming out of it?

No.

Anonymous (April 10, 2002)

Is Omaha that bad? Maybe all of America is that bad, full of commercial bullshit and corporate influence on every corner. Desa isn't just about Omaha, it's about everywhere. People here are just like people everywhere else, disgustingly monkey-like and easily attracted to shiny glitz wherever they see it. Omaha is just another city in the middle of America, the older parts left to rot while the glut of the population shops and moves out to the fancy new cookie-cutter burbs. But is that anything different from your town?

Joe
http://www.somedaynever.com/omaha/

wyzo (April 9, 2002)

I would spend endless dolores on there split with 'Son,ambulance' for the one song "Oh, You Are The Roots That Sleep Beneath My Feet". Great band, Conor is a little song factory unto himself.

wyzo