Album: Bright Flight

Song Title

Time

Slow Education

Room Games and Diamond Rain

Time Will Break the World

I Remember Me

Horseleg Swatikas

Transylvania Blues

Let's Not and Say We Did

Tennessee

Friday Night Fever

10)

Death of an Heir of Sorrows

Album: Bright Flight

Song Title

Time

Slow Education

Room Games and Diamond Rain

Time Will Break the World

I Remember Me

Horseleg Swatikas

Transylvania Blues

Let's Not and Say We Did

Tennessee

Friday Night Fever

10)

Death of an Heir of Sorrows

Performer Notes

Silver Jews: David Berman (vocals, guitar); William Tyler (pedal steel guitar); Tony Crow (electric guitar); Phil Niehaus (piano); Tim Barnes (percussion).
Recorded at HVM Oepot, Berry Hill, Tennesse.
Recording information: Hum Depot, Berryhill, TN.
Unknown Contributor Roles: David Berman; Cassie Marrett; Paul Niehaus; Tim Barnes ; Tony Crow.
When the Silver Jews first appeared in the mid-'90s, the band's singer-songwriter David Berman was backed by some of his pals from Pavement, whose sound helped define the sonic parameters of the first couple of Silver Jews releases. In short order, though, the group weaned itself of Pavement connections both aural and physical, and developed its own sound, which seems to reach an apex on BRIGHT FLIGHT. While Berman and company have been moving in a vaguely country-rock direction for a while, this album probably the contains the largest quotient of country influence, as heard most plainly on the classic Nashville-mode male/female duet "Tennessee" and the disfigured honky-tonk of "Friday Night Fever." While he's keeping busy turning his band into the New Riders of the Purple Sage, though, real-life poet Berman's lyrics are sharper than ever, encompassing everything from death and time to alcohol and an admiration for Royal Trux.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (2/28/02, p.62) - 3.5 stars out of 5- "...David Berman taps into ur-American rural nightmares....singing wittily of love...and art, throwing in a deadpan cover of George Strait's 'Friday Night Fever' for thematic unity..."

Q (2/02, p.114) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A charming, mournful, witty delight..."

Uncut (1/03, p.97) - Ranked #59 in Uncut's "100 Best Albums of the Year"

The Wire (1/02, p.69) - "...Wry, moderately skewed Country rock..."

Mojo (Publisher) (3/02, p.101) - "...A beguiling treasure..."