This week, Bright Eyes shared a new song, “1st World Blues,” that is influenced by ska music and is a takedown of late stage capitalism, with references to Reaganomics and large chain stores such as Hot Topic and Old Navy. It is accompanied by a lyric video (which plays more like a regular music video.
Bright Eyes is Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nathaniel Wolcott. The band collectively had this to say about the song in a press release: “‘1st World Blues’ is an homage to ska in all its waves. From Desmond Decker to Tim Armstrong, we’re just happy to add our track to the bin.
The video is inspired by NYC 90s hip hop, which like ska, has a long tradition of unifying people and using celebratory music to convey subversive political themes. To be played loud. Windows down. Summertime.”
Bright Eyes released a new album, Five Dice, All Threes, last year via Dead Oceans. It was the band’s 10th studio album and followed Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, which came out in 2020 via Dead Oceans.
The Fat Angel Sings 