- Artist: Conor Oberst
- Album Title: Conor Oberst
- Record Label: Ramseur
- Release Date: 8/5/2008
- Rating: 8.0
- Bands Web Site: http://www.conoroberst.com/
- Sound: Indie Rock, Country Rock, Singer-Songwriter
- Similar Artists: Colin Meloy, Jenny Lews, Bob Dylan
"Hey, have you heard the new Conor Oberst?
"There's a new Bright Eyes?"
"No, it's just Conor Oberst."
"...Bright Eyes basically is just Conor Oberst; I don't understand."
"The album is 'Conor Oberst' by Conor Oberst; he didn't go by 'Bright Eyes' for this album."
"Is that some sort of statement?"
"I have no idea. I guess it would be like if Bono released an album called 'Paul Hewson' as Paul Hewson. And if he did that, I would take it as him trying to be less of a pretentious douchebag, though I'm not sure that's what Oberst is doing."
"It's frightening you know Bono's real name. So is Oberst being less of a douchebag?"
"Well, I'm not exactly sure he is a douchebag to begin with. He does some pretty fucking annoying things on his records, but maybe he's just too earnest. I mean, who puts an interview of themselves on their own record? Even if its fake."
"And has background voices."
"Yeah. And Cassedega? The fucking thing won a Grammy...for best record packaging, with all that hidden shit. I mean it was a decent enough record, but I didn't feel like I could relate to it. In fact, I haven't really liked a Bright Eyes album since I'm Wide Awake It's Morning."
"Because you live in New York City?"
"Because it wasn't just about fucking Conor Oberst! And that's what I like about this album, it has a bunch of songs that are him singing about shit that has nothing to do with him or anyone he knows. He went to Mexico and wrote some songs about all kinds of shit. It doesn't make me feel like I need to search for some deeper hipster-ironic meaning in every fucking song."
"Are any of the songs about Mexico?"
"I have no fucking idea, really, but they have some beautiful lyrics. Like on 'Cape Canaveral', he sings 'Like the citrus glow off the old orange grove/Or the red rocket blaze over Cape Canaveral/It’s been a nightmare to me'. It's beautiful, and stays close to his folk-rock center instead of drifting to the fringes of his sound. It's uncomfortable sounding by his fringe..."
"I'll have to buy the record, because you can't sing for shit dude."
"There's a reason I'm talking to you about this record instead of making my own. Anyway, he also rocks a lot more on this album than he usually does. Country-rock songs, some real rollicking numbers like 'Sauslito', 'I Don't Wanna Die(In The Hospital)', 'Moab' and 'Souled Out!!!'. Electric guitar solos, crashing drums, he goes all out. 'I Don't Wanna Die' is my favorite song, it has a furious pace, and it's just fun. He actually laughs on one track, it sounds like he's having fun. Not as much navel gazing. And I don't know exactly who is in The Mystic Valley Band, but they play the hell out of their instruments."
"The Mystic Valley Band?"
"Yeah, he dubbed his backing band the Mystic Valley Band."
"'Dubbed'? Did they have a say in this? Can you just go around dubbing things?"
"...that's not the point."
"Whatever, sounds a little douchey to me. I don't go around naming my friends."
"I have a theory that people who go around saying exactly what they think and doing exactly what they want get labeld douchebags by people who can't stand the fact that someone isn't polite enough to play along with all of society's bullshit."
"...that sounds like something a douchebag would say."
"Fuck you, just buy the record."
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