Starting off with a monologue about a doomed international traveller, whose last moments in a plane crash are recounted in the form of a jaunty country hoedown filled, you can tell that Conor Oberst has once again pulled out all the stops, (and possibly his sanity) and avoided the trap of standard structure to bring out I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning--his most commercial album to date. Released alongside the less human album Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, the stylistic chasm between the two only emphasizes the difference between the two, simultaneously bringing out the best qualities in each other. The most obvious precedent here is Tom Waits' "Blood Money" and "Alice"- stylistically different, and as good as each other, but for different reasons. This is immediately accessible, featuring Emmylou Harris to add a layer of vocal varnish. It's a nice listen, full of lush productions and heart-stirring tales of romance, and conditions of the human heart. The country-ish theme is prevalent throughout, with lots of pedal steel and mournful brass, most notably on "Train Under Water", though the hit single of "Lua" is a quiet, intimate story-telling acoustic piece that is just about the most affecting song here. --Thom Allott (Review copyright Amazon.co.uk)