Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band | Outer SouthEmpty Bottle Evenings

Sep102014September 10, 2014September 23, 2014No Commentby Bake

Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band | Outer South

Posted in Music

I was going to keep writing about new albums, in this case Conor Oberst’s Upside Down Mountain, but part of the mission statement of Empty Bottle Evenings is bringing to our (imaginary) reader’s attention bands and albums that are underrated, overlooked, or just bitchin’ tunes. Don’t worry, I’m even more uncomfortable using that last phrase then you are reading it. Most people have heard of Oberst’s primary musical outlet, Bright Eyes, and a lot of you may be completely turned off. Personally, I love some of the Bright Eyes stuff: the whole I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning album, various songs off Lifted and Cassadaga, and just do yourself a favor and check out the unexpectedly great Fours Wind EP. But I can see the flaws: it’s pretentious, he sings too nasally, and it’s like Spanish Fly for obnoxious hipsters. Well, at least it was. Then as hipsters do, they move on to the next big disposable thing. Conor Oberst? He moved on to a few different side projects that are actually some of his best work.

Outer South is the 2^nd studio album from Oberst and his backing outfit but their first album as a true band. His first, self titled effort was really just a solo album, while Outer South not only has a full band sound, it has other band members ( Nik Freitas, Jason Boesel, Tayor Hollingsworth, Nate Walcott, and Macey Taylor) alternating instruments and vocals from track to track. Sometimes Conor’s vocals can start to be grating, but mixed among offerings from the other musicians it fits pretty damn well. He also sounds like he is having fun on this album, just rocking out, and not fucking around with trying too hard to be clever, or adding crying-baby sound effects just to be weird. It’s just straightforward pop rock, almost faux classic rock mixed with folk, pop, and country, like something Tom Petty would love. It won’t change the world, but it’s sure worth a listen. Especially for the non-Oberst songs like “Big Black Nothing” by Freitas or “Difference is Time” from Boesel.

All the musicians seem to bring something to the table which is appreciated even if they all get grouped together as “The Mystic Valley Band”. What makes someone put their name front and central anyway? Huey Lewis and the News? What makes him so fucking special? Why not just The News? It wasn’t Kurt Cobain and the Seattle Sludge. You never heard of Mick Jagger and the Jaggettes? Or Bono & U Other Dumb Cunts. I’m guessing it’s because Oberst put this collective together and did the majority of the writing, but it’s this album containing all the various influences that makes it his best. Whether a simple catchy jam like “Nikorette” that was co-written with Freitas, “Worldwide”, sung by Taylor, or “Eagle on a Pole” which he and Boesel both gave a shot on; Boesel’s version being the superior one that appears on this album. It’s refreshing for musicians to trade off writing and singing within a band, even if they should probably just be called the Mystic Valley Band. Or Sasquatch. Or whatever they prefer.

This isn’t actually the only good Oberst supergroup/side project that he’s involved with. Monsters of Folk created with Jim James, Mike Mogis, and M. Ward also released one pretty great album back in 2009. I don’t know if they will ever do anything together again, but if not pick that up however you can. And listen to Outer South, would you? And if you don’t really feel either one of these albums, just remember that even artists that you don’t care for can create something fucking awesome. Sometimes they just need to work with other artists to tell them to stop being such a pretentious d-bag and play something good.