9/Conor Oberst/Conor Oberst
Los Angeles looks like a lot different today. Sunlight is nowhere to be found, the air is brisk, and drops of water are falling from the sky. The sidewalks are clear, the roads are slick, and those who must sit behind the wheel of their vehicles to get from Point A to Point B are driving cautiously, carefully, as the rain falls down and washes our sins away. It’s another one of those rare Los Angeles days where one is again reminded that other seasons do indeed exist and that the best thing to do is simply stay indoors, keep to ourselves, (or surround ourselves with loved ones), clear ours head, revel in the calm, and ride out the storm. Today, there’s no need to get away. It’s best to seek refuge and find solace in those aforementioned moments of clarity. As the rain continues to fall and the sun remains at bay, I have sought comfort and warmth in the muted and melancholic confines of a clear and evocative musical composition. And on this cold rainy day I have sought comfort in the sound of this album, brought to us by the man from whom the album gets its name. Clearing his head and getting away, Conor Oberst places the Bright Eyes moniker on the shelf for a minute, retreats to Mexico with a few musical instrument wielding friends (also known as the Mystic Valley band), and gives us this, a richly colored collection of songs filled with clear and present ruminations on the world around him, the people around him, the things around us. And with the current diffusion of sound in these slick Los Angeles city streets, I too can see clearly, hear clearly, and easily immerse myself in Mr. Oberst’s earnest storytelling and immaculately crafted alt-country/folk ditties brought to us from south of the border. He, like me, just wants to “stop reading the weather charts”, clear his head, and revel in the calm.
KEY TRACKS: Get-Well-Cards/Lenders in the Temple/Moab
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