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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best of 2001 (and underrated by the old fans), January 29, 2002
I find this album to be Berman's most accessible album yet (and accessible doesn't mean bad). I'm appalled that people liked American Water so much but hate this album. AW is a great album, but Bright Flight is a throwback to the far superior Natural Bridge. Without Malkmus's Wowee Zowee outtakes all over the album, Berman creates an honest and touching series of songs that grab you right away. I'm shocked that people would say this album dragged -- I found this album more exciting than The Natural Bridge, although the lyrics on Bright Flight are simpler and the melodies mellower. I find the lyrics on Bright Flight to be better than those on any of his previous albums, ESPECIALLY American Water.
This album is one of the very few five-star albums of 2001. Who can resist the sadness of "I Remember Me," or the timeless sing-along of "Friday Night Fever"? The guitars on this album complement Berman's songs more so than Malkmus's showy noodlings did on AW. I can't imagine people listening to the honkey-tonk piano in "Let's not and Say We Did" without wanting to ride down the ridge to the military bridge (or see a fireplace that burns backwards). Great Record.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Freedom of the Press to Disagree..., December 2, 2003
So our man Greg Press thinks Bright Flight ain't a patch on "American Water", saying, " This album seems a result of Virginia boredom." Not to pick bones or nits, but Berman was actually living in Tennessee when this record was made. And I agree with another reviewer that "American Water" was marred a bit by Malkmus' "Wowee Zowee" outtakes. In fact, though I think Malkmus is an interesting guy; somebody I'd be down to have beers with, I don't really like his music, which is why I made the criminal mistake of ignoring the Jews until a girl I was dating played me "Random Rules" a few years ago. Pure genius. "American Water" is a fantastic album, in spite of (and occasionally because of) Malkmus' semi-inappropriate Mark E. Smith aspirations, but I think "Bright Flight" tops it. So, admittedly, no song on the record is quite as brilliant as "Random Rules"--which stands up to just about anyting ever written--but "Bright Flight" is a more consistent, casual record. It finds a poet about as relaxed as he can be and be at the top of his game. There's a back-porch kind of lonliness that recalls the subject of the Blasters' "Marie, Marie". Berman *knows* why she sings so sad, starts at that point and then fragments and simultaneously refines the narrative until everything shines perfectly clear. "The Natural Bridge" is a great disc, but sounds palpably forced beside this one. Simply put, "Bright Flight" finds Berman in a comfortable place, and that's truly not a bad thing. Mr. Press also said that "BF" sounds like the hangover from "AW", and I'd agree with that as well, though for me, it's a postive point. Every so often, the hangover's the best part of the whole experience. "Bright Flight" captures that oft-neglected phenomenon better than just about anything I've ever heard or read.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
No lies here., December 9, 2001
Have a drink with David Berman. In fact, have two or three or four. On Bright Flight, the original Silver Jew himself has confessions to make, landscapes to paint, and stories to tell. The more you listen, the more you will realize this guy has been your best friend for a long, long time now, and you never even knew. I've heard that some people are turned off by Berman's skewed Texas drawl, but if you're a fan of Smog, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, David Allen Coe, or even Bob Dylan, you'll know a great song can transform even the most "unlistenable" voice into something stunningly real and prophetic, and these songs do exactly that. "Slow Education" is a smoky billiard history lesson, "Horseleg Swastikas" is a refusal of sadness, and "I Remember Me" is a contender for the greatest love song of all time. No lies here.
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