American indie rock band Bright Eyes’ newest album Five Dice, All Threes is a thrilling musical journey from start to finish. The album opens with a spoken word intro which features the bandmembers explaining the rules of the game, set against a cacophony of distorted radio broadcasts and clattering sound bites. The track sets a cinematic tone for the rest of the album, a tone that is combated with avant garde allusions and optimism all at once. The lead single, “Bells and Whistles” opens with Conor Oberst’s vivid vocal delivery, it is blended with a production of both country and indie rock genres that sets the expectations for the album as a whole. The strumming of guitars in the beginning gently guides listeners through a climatic tone that is often immense and emotional. Oberst’s vocals are vulnerable and raw in detailing the little things in life that impact the band’s destiny as rockstars. Oberst’s emotional rawness adds an intimate flare to the song’s catchy beats.

The following track, “El Captitan” continues the indie-country mashup, forming a combination of a love song and struggle of one’s identity in getting older. The mesmerizing lyrics “You kept kissing me like Judas,/ Your betrayal was apropos/you said I’m washed up and that’s what I get for growing old” set against blaring horns and aesthetic production, is sure to be a track listeners may grow to enjoy overtime. The following ballads, “Tiny Suicides” and “All Threes” are accompanied by Oberst’s vast, pristine vocals. The raspy vocals juxtaposed against slow pianos and guitars fuel the streak of introspection within the lyrics. On the other hand, “All Threes” features a duet with Cat Power complimenting Oberst’s tender vocal lead. It is mainly a piano driven track with a lingering guitar production. The song explores themes such as complexities of being a human and the passage of time itself.

Oberst’s storytelling throughout the album remains self-aware while injecting triumphant and indifferent outlooks within each track. The album’s musical landscape culminates itself through laughing at the ridiculousness of life’s journey filled with twists and turns at every corner, just waiting to be discovered through listeners’ anticipation within each track. The album’s closer, “Tin Soldier Boy” is a testament to Bright Eyes’ longevity and an emotional reflection on their career. It begins with twangy guitars, slow burning production and piano. The infectious chorus: “Soldier on, soldier on/ Through the heartbreak and the joy./ Soldier on” is a cathartic way to end the album’s journey filled with eccentric songwriting and in-depth storytelling.

While not always an easy listen, Five Dice, All Threes charges out of the gate, mixing storytelling and Oberst’s mesmerizing lyricism while evoking a grand sense of intimacy and introspection. The album leaves listeners with the band’s declaration of wisdom and tenacity through their cultural impact in the indie rock scene, now and towards the future.