Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band : Outer South :: Review
Stripped from the teen angst theatrics and “Bright Eyes” moniker, Conor Oberst returns months after his solo debut with The Mystic Valley Band on “Outer South.” This new group has a more mature sound akin to the Southern California collectives of the Seventies. Conor Oberst is definitely the leader of this troupe as The Mystic Valley band’s material often sounds like filler, “Big Black Nothing” and “Air Mattress” being the main culprits. Otherwise, the album treads the same alt-country line Conor Oberst is (in) famous for.
The album opens with the catchy countrified “Slowly (Oh So Slowly)” before settling into the dusty and lyrical “To All The Lights In The Windows.” The album derails with the aforementioned Mystic Valley tracks but finds it’s footing with the bouncy “Nikorette.” “White Shoes” offers some of Oberst’s finest songwriting bolstered by the spare acoustic guitar performance.
On side two, the album seems haphazard and the band seems to be going through the motions. “Worldwide” sounds cribbed from the Tom Petty songbook and the heavy-handed vibe of “Roosevelt Room” doesn’t really jive with the tone of the rest of the album. Oberst recovers with the organ fueled “I Got The Reason” but just as he does, band mate Taylor Hollingsworth wrecks things with the overly clichéd closer “Snake Hill.” Maybe next time Oberst will assume a more dictatorial approach resulting in a better album.
Rating: 
