Conor Oberst (and the Mystic Valley Band?)

I guess you could call Conor Oberst an indie-folk Jack White, multitude of fingers in a multitude of musical pies.

The difference is, when Jack White starts a new band/project/thing, it is usually distinctly average.

If you've heard of Mr Oberst it is most likely as front man of Bright Eyes, the musical conglomerate of which he is the key component. In fact, it's no real lie to say that Conor Oberst is Bright Eyes

Anyway I digress because, good as the aforementioned band are, they're not the subject here. I'm here to drawl on about the music released as Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.



Music hacks like comparing the man singing in the video above to Bob Dylan, and you can see why mostly obviously if you listen to the '...and the Mystic Valley Band' records. A lot of the folk influences are brought to the fore, the kind of stuff that was a lot more subdued on the Bright Eyes albums. 'I Don't Want To Die In The Hospital' (from the album 'Conor Oberst') may, from title alone sounds like a classic bit of tortured guitar and voice balladry, ala 'Lua'. Actually it's a fill blown folk filled stomp. Piano and Johnny Cash-esque rhythm section to boot. 'Souled Out' (a single release from the same album) is similar. Blessed with a winding lead guitar line that sounds like it should be sound tracking a road trip across some deserted American highway and simple, plodding drums, it’s less crying indie kid, more breakfast in a diner with your Mustang sitting gleaming outside. It just sounds more like a folk record.
That being said, he hasn’t grown a beard and moved to a shack on a farm somewhere. And neither has he become a cringe worthy protest singer. This is still the song writer who wrote the likes of ‘First Day Of My Life’, a fact that shines through, especially on the quieter moments of the ‘…Mystic Valley Band’ songs.
Lyrical he's as good as ever. But again, on the whole it's less introspective and a bit more surreal. 'Cape Canaveral' above will show you that. Less direct but not the meaningless garbage that sound artists might try to pedal to you under the guise of being 'deep' or 'surreal' (*cough* Coldplay *cough*) .



So then, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Very different. Very good. I'd recommend grabbing the first record ('Conor Oberst') as I'm more familiar with it, although both are good buys if you have the dollar. Jack White should take heed; this is how to do the 'more than one band' thing.