Wake Up and Smell The Music: Catching Up With Conor Oberst's Latest CD

I swear they said the car was in lot FU...

Conor Oberst released a self-titled album back in early August when yours truly was on a much needed vacation. I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't get a chance to review it, even belatedly. Conor recorded it in Mexico with his newest project The Mystic Valley Band which includes Jason Boesel, drummer for Rilo Kiley (and also his band The Elected). Jason has also drummed for Bright Eyes on tour and did some work on one of my favorite albums of 2007 Cassadaga.

For such a young career Conor has been with more musicians than Pamela Anderson. Back in 1995, he started the band Commander Venus with Tim Kasher who later launched The Good Life on Conor's Saddle Creek Records label. Tom Fink, also in the Commander Venus, started another band with Conor named Norman Bailer which later became The Faint. In 1996, Conor was also in a band called Park Ave which included Neely Jenkins and Jamie Williams, both now with Tilly and The Wall. Late last year Conor spoke of starting a side project with M. Ward of She and Him although that has yet to materialize. His main band, Bright Eyes is a loose group of who's who indie musicians and friends from around his hometown of Omaha.

So, now that we're up to speed, let's review his new self titled record. First of all, if you like Conor or Bright Eyes, you should definitely like this. The music styles are varied enough on this album that it should have something for everyone. His insightful and honest lyrics are top notch here and fit the musical styles. For example, in "Danny Callahan" he implores us to believe in yourself and not everything people tell us:

So stop reading the weather charts.

Stop counting the playing cards.
There's no system, there's no guarantee

That the love you feel and carry inside can be passed

and later he reminds of our vulnerabilities:

But even Western medicine,

it couldn't save Danny Callahan.

Bad bone marrow, a bald little boy.

But the love he feels he carries inside can be passed.

He lay still,

his mother kissed him goodbye, said 'comeback.'

Where are you going to, alone?

Where are you going off...alone!!

Musically, there is a nice variety, such as the high pitched guitar driven "Souled Out", the alt-country neo-Dylan imitation (without the snarl) "Get Well Cards", the Tom Petty meets Grateful Dead travelogue "Moab" or the rollicking uptempo "Sausalito" where he casually flirts with getting away from it all:

we should move to Sausalito
living's easy on a house boat
let the ocean rock us back and forth to sleep

as if heaven has been laid there at our feet.
in the morning with the sunrise
look in the water see the blue sky

Rating (7.5/10)