Letting Off the Happiness

Letting Off the Happiness
Studio album by Bright Eyes
Released	November 2, 1998 (US)
Recorded	March 1997-March 1998
Studio	Conor Oberst's basement, Omaha, NE Chase Park Transduction, Athens, GA
Genre	Indie rock
Length	57:02
Label	Saddle Creek (US) LBJ-23
Producer	Mike Mogis
Bright Eyes chronology
A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997 (1998) Letting Off the Happiness (1998) Fevers and Mirrors (2000)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Pitchfork Media	(6.8/10) Pitchfork review

Letting Off the Happiness is the second album released by the indie rock band Bright Eyes. The album was released on November 2, 1998. It was the first release by Bright Eyes to feature and be produced by Mike Mogis, now a permanent member of the band. A vinyl re-release of the album was included in the Bright Eyes Vinyl Box Set in 2012. Guest musicians include members of Neutral Milk Hotel, Tilly and the Wall, and Of Montreal.

This album is the 23rd release of Saddle Creek Records.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Conor Oberst. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"If Winter Ends"	3:25
2.	"Padraic My Prince"	3:48
3.	"Contrast and Compare"	3:57
4.	"The City Has Sex With Itself"	2:11
5.	"The Difference in the Shades"	4:23
6.	"Touch"	3:42
7.	"June on the West Coast"	3:34
8.	"Pull My Hair"	4:10
9.	"Empty Canyon, Empty Canteen" (Japanese bonus track)	2:46
10.	"A Poetic Retelling of an Unfortunate Seduction"	4:24
11.	"Tereza and Tomas" (ends at 5:35, followed by guitar drone. "Contrast and Compare (Version)" (4:48) begins at 20:58.)	25:46

Personnel

• Conor Oberst – vocals; guitar (1-5, 7-10); acoustic drums, electric drums (3); keyboards (6); piano (10)
• Mike Mogis – atmospheric noises (2); pedal steel (3, 5, 8, 9); melodica, air organ (3); country guitar (4); keyboards (4, 6, 9); electric drums (8); organs (9); piano, bowed chimes (10); recording (2, 3, 10); mixing, mastering
• Matt Maginn – bass (2)
• Matt Focht – drums (2); percussion (10)
• Matt Oberst – guitar (3)
• Neely Jenkins – vocals (3, 8)
• Andy LeMaster – vocals (4, 8); percussion (4); bass (5); lead guitar (8); recording, engineering (4, 5, 6, 9)
• Jeremy Barnes – drums (4, 5, 6, 9); percussion (4); broken keyboards (6); accordion (9)
• Kevin Barnes – Rhodes keyboard (5); angelic background vocals (9)
• Ted Stevens – sloppy drums (8)
• Aaron Druery – ebow bass (10)
• Robb Nansel – finger cymbals (10)

External links

• Saddle Creek Records

References

1. Letting Off the Happiness at AllMusic