- Record Label: Merge
- Release Date: May 5, 2009
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In short, arguably for the first time, Oberst gives us an album rife with liveliness--and it sounds like he had a damn good time making it.
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Oberst just sounds more energized than he has in years on Outer South, while still producing songs that roll out smoothly, buoyed by catchy choruses, memorable lines, and some of the most spirited singing and playing of his career.
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Minor criticisms aside, however, Outer South is an enjoyable, relaxed album that contains some of Oberst's best work.
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Oberst himself seems swept up in the motion--he's dropped his vocal affectations, his grandiose couplets, he's happy to be leading a group that feels like a band of brothers--one that might not always sing in the same voice, but share a sensibility, something that gives Outer South a big human heart.
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In many ways, Outer South feels almost like a coming of age for Oberst. His voice is way stronger than it has been in the past.
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MojoDecamping to Mexico with a gang of musician friends and collaborating in songwriting as well as performance has made for Conor Oberst's most colourful, upbeat record so far. [Jun 2009, p.100]
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Q MagazineIt remains to be seen whether this is a long-term diversion for Oberst. But if the Mystic Valley Band is just a brief stop, it's a hugely enjoyable one all the same. [Jun 2009, p.129]
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Fans used to the intimacy of Oberst's earlier work may be flummoxed by the collaborative Traveling Wilburys vibe here, but they'll find it again on the elegant, mournful 'White Shoes.'
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Predictably, however, this six-piece are best at backing their boss with a road-seasoned mix of meaty jangle and whirring Sixties-Dylan organ.
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As is often the case when a rarefied musician enjoys themself too much though, this is a wildly self-indulgent release; 16-tracks which veer between excellent and average.
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FilterIt's unexpectedly novel...and predictably disjointed. [Spring 2009, p.92]
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The band's contributions are low points on this 16-track epic, but Oberst proves as iconoclastic as ever.
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It mostly works: Shave a couple of the non-Conor tracks and it'd sit comfortably with his best.
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Oberst's contributions are superior, though only the stark, haunting 'White Shoes' and darkly beautiful 'I Got the Reason #2' are from anywhere near his top drawer.
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Under The RadarThe good news for Bright Eyes fans who found the first Mystic Valley Band album to mannered: The new one restores some fire to Oberst's belly. The bad news: There's less Oberst this time around. [Spring 2009, p.67]
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Outer South is a decently stocked serving of rambling, saloon-joint alt-country, but one that finds the freewheeling Oberst and band in need of a little focus.
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UncutThe resulting LP is a shambling, intermittently engaging sprawl, the songs jammed with verbiage, the lead vocals spread among the principals, most of whom make Oberst's frayed, wobbly singing seem Bono-esque by comparison. The LP's saving grace is the dexterous playing of the ensemble. [Jun 2009, p.95]
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While many of the tracks on Outer South have potential, nearly all of these songs sound like they could have benefited from a bit more time in the oven.
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It feels a little too soon for this overstuffed, 16-song collection where Oberst's cutting social commentary is dropped into a maelstrom of charging guitars and barroom backing vocals.
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The 16 songs vary in tone, from grease-and-nicotine-stained jams to spit-shined ballads, but too little of it is adroit enough in construction or execution to stick in the craw.
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The result is an album that's unfortunately baggy and sodden with filler, which could have benefited from a little less camaraderie and a little more revision.
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While Outer South may represent a step back from last year’s work, it is perhaps another step forward for Oberst in terms of his evolution as an artist.
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Perhaps it's partly a factor of Oberst's essential attention-grabbing nature, but none of these gentlemen offers up a composition that snags the ear better than the most mundane effort from their fearless leader.
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Outer South is too long, too uninteresting, and too uninspired to be anything better than not good at all.
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Too often it feels as if they’re all going through the motions, opting to play it safe, while Oberst himself seems bored and uninterested.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 12
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Mixed: 3 out of 12
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Negative: 0 out of 12
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SAmMay 12, 2009Boring!