Hype is the primary killer of surprise. It can be crippling to decent works of art that will suffer under the weight of unrealistic expectation. But for the wunderkind from Omaha, there is a rather graceful delivery of the goods. With his warbling voice, and a sound that deftly skirts the boundaries of alt-country and lo-fi pop. With “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning,” he has finally moved beyond “teen oddity” and into the realm of the genuinely talented. Not unlike his spiritual brethren Will Oldham (aka Palace), his music is wonderful juxtaposition to the insipid commercialism that is popular music. While earlier efforts had moments of brilliance they were also scarred with a few pretentious clunkers. This is an album to be savored from start to stop, while driving on a sunny day to moping on a rainy one.
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