The Noise? Zzzzzz...

Noise Floor is a collection of non-album singles, B-sides and covers -- conveniently gathered up for you Conor Oberst completists out there. And that is, indeed, who should get it -- folks who adore Mr. Bright Eyes and can't get enough. Folks who have not only embraced all the things that divide music fans over Oberst -- the quavering, slightly nasal voice; the sincere (or contrived) lyrics; the minimalism -- but who are content to listen to him unleash one very similar-sounding song after another. Because, for a collection of odds and sods, Noise Floor gets surprisingly repetitive -- formulaic, even.\nThings start off relatively well, though. While introductory track "Mirrors and Fevers" leaves you sitting through annoying filler noise (people chattering in the background) for what seems like an absurdly long time, it eventually cuts to a brief, raw acappella piece by Oberst -- then drops into the heavy drum sample beginning, "I Will Be Grateful for This Day." The effect is striking -- a slap in the face that demands your attention. And "I Will Be Grateful..." merits it -- not only is it the best song on the album, it's also a deviation from the tedious uniformity that dominates much of Noise Floor. As fans might've guessed from the words "drum sample," this song takes after 2005's Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, Bright Eyes' electronic holiday from lo-fi folk -- and besides employing samples and a dru m machine, it teams Oberst's voice with a droning electronic organ melody to beautiful effect, sounding a bit like Yo La Tengo's "Autumn Sweater."\nThe next few tracks never quite reach the same high -- but, then again, they're more interesting than the monotony that is to come. "Trees Get Wheeled Away" is a countrified bit of singer-songwriter venom whose political ambition leads to unwieldy lyrics. "Drunk Kid Catholic" is a pissed-off piano sing-along slightly reminiscent of Modest Mouse. The Spoon cover, "Spent on Rainy Days," swings and rages nicely. And with its galloping guitar, "The Vanishing Act" has nice momentum even though, like a hamster on its wheel, it doesn't get anywhere.\nBut when "Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man" comes around, I hope you really like its quiet, slow, sad-boy vocals and meandering guitar -- 'cause all the rest of the album sounds just the same (excepting "Blue Angels Air Show," an electronic piece that never really takes off). We're talking about nine tracks out of 16. Some artists can get away with track after track of very similar songs -- but Conor Oberst is no Motörhead.