The incomparable Bright Eyes—Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott—have released their powerful new eight-track EP, Kids Table, available now via Dead Oceans! This stunning project follows their visceral album Five Dice, All Threes and is instantly highlighted by the new single, “Dyslexic Palindrome,” which features the soulful voice of Alynda Segarra of Hurray For The Riff Raff. This dynamic duet, which examines the dark complacency of today’s capitalistic culture, deepens a creative partnership that Oberst raves about, calling Segarra “one of the most soulful people I have ever encountered.”
Kids Table holds true to the essential Bright Eyes DNA, offering blood-on-the-tracks honesty sprinkled with brilliant wordplay and cultural references. At the heart of the EP lies “Sharp Cutting Wings (Song to a Poet),” a haunting cover of the Lucinda Williams song that was the first thing Oberst wanted to sing after recovering from a medical emergency in late 2024. The EP is both a perfect companion to their latest full-length and a self-contained world of its own, perpetually teetering between rogue optimism and pragmatic despair. Meanwhile, the band continues its high-octane tour across North America, including major West Coast dates and rare performances across Asia, all while advancing equity for the LGBTQ+ community through their non-profit, The Poison Oak Project.
Tracklist for Kids Table (EP):
- Kids Table
- Cairns (When Your Heart Belongs to Everyone)
- 1st World Blues
- Sharp Cutting Wings (Song to a Poet)
- It Always Feels Good and It Never Hurts
- Dyslexic Palindrome (feat. Hurray For The Riff Raff)
- Shakespeare In A Nutshell
- Victory City