This week brings us Outer South, the latest record from Bright Eyes Conor Oberst Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. I can say, without hesitation, that this is Oberst’s worst album yet. Well, okay, with the possible exception of A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997, though he gets a free pass on that one, in accordance with the Pablo Honey principle—take note, I totally just coined that—and also because he was like ten at the time. I imagine that if I had written and recorded an album at the age of ten, it mostly would have been about how much I liked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or something. Alas, I digress. Outer South feels pretty half-baked, like a batch of songs lumped together for the sake of putting out an album—or, perhaps more to the point, for the sake of establishing the Mystic Valley Band as an ensemble, rather than a backing band. While I can’t deny that they really do seem like a band after watching their tour documentary/buddy picture One of my Kind, these boys are going to have to exercise much stricter quality control if they hope to erase the memory of Bright Eyes. Read my full review of the album at PopMatters. (Photo of Mr. Oberst is from my coverage of the Mystic Valley Band’s visit to the 9:30 Club last November)

This week brings us Outer South, the latest record from Bright Eyes Conor Oberst Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. I can say, without hesitation, that this is Oberst’s worst album yet. Well, okay, with the possible exception of A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997, though he gets a free pass on that one, in accordance with the Pablo Honey principle—take note, I totally just coined that—and also because he was like ten at the time. I imagine that if I had written and recorded an album at the age of ten, it mostly would have been about how much I liked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or something. Alas, I digress. Outer South feels pretty half-baked, like a batch of songs lumped together for the sake of putting out an album—or, perhaps more to the point, for the sake of establishing the Mystic Valley Band as an ensemble, rather than a backing band. While I can’t deny that they really do seem like a band after watching their tour documentary/buddy picture One of my Kind, these boys are going to have to exercise much stricter quality control if they hope to erase the memory of Bright Eyes. Read my full review of the album at PopMatters. (Photo of Mr. Oberst is from my coverage of the Mystic Valley Band’s visit to the 9:30 Club last November)

May 4 2009

Photo

Comments