Bright Eyes release third single, “One and Done,” from upcoming album

Legendary indie-folk trio Bright Eyes has released the next single off their highly anticipated upcoming reunion album. Bright Eyes’ last studio LP, titled The People’s Key, arrived in 2011. Since then, the band has been relatively inactive, although frontman Conor Oberst has continued a steady stream of releases. Most recently, Oberst teamed up with Dead Oceans-signee Phoebe Bridgers to form the Better Oblivion Community Center supergroup. The duo’s eponymous debut album was released in 2019.

In February 2020, Bright Eyes joined Bridgers and quietly signed to Dead Oceans, leading many to speculate a new album was in the works. Since then, three singles have been released: “Persona Non Grata,” “Forced Convalescence,” and most recently, “One and Done.”

Each single has been a clear continuation of past Bright Eyes releases, with fresh twists. “One and Done” features almost psychedelic production set against Oberst’s characteristically pointed, folksy vocals. There’s also a heavy emphasis on strings in this track, providing extra depth and a sense of melodrama. Each single has been an improvement on the last, suggesting one of the trio’s best works is on the way.

In a recent interview with NME, Oberst described the upcoming album as an extension and improvement of past work:

“We wanted to invoke some elements of our oldest records… The sounds aren’t all pristine and super-manicured. We wanted to feel like the band we started as kids who were into punk rock and stuff like that. My favorite stuff walks the line between the human, raw, emotional and unhinged qualities, but with a little more sophisticated approach.”

Despite having released three singles, neither the band nor Dead Oceans have provided any further details regarding the record’s title or its release date. Additionally, Bright Eyes has had to postpone upcoming 2020 tour dates (the first in almost a decade) in light of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. There are many uncertainties regarding Bright Eyes’ reunion, yet the three singles released so far are incredibly compelling: keep an eye out for upcoming announcements.

Stream Bright Eyes’ “One and Done” below.