Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

Spunk

3 stars

Only months after his self-titled album with the Mystic River Band, Conor Oberst returns with Outer South for some more alt-country and acoustic balladry. But here, he’s given the rest of the band a turn at the reins.

Although Oberst wrote every song, bassist Macey Taylor sings ‘Worldwide’, and Taylor Hollingsworth does some mediocre Dylanising on ‘Air Mattress’. Nick Freitas thankfully ups the ante with his efforts on ‘Bloodline’ and ‘Big Black Nothing’, which are well executed.

Oberst’s contributions are unsurprisingly superior however, especially the overwhelmingly haunting ‘White Shoes’, ‘I Got The Reason #2’ and ‘Roosevelt Room’ – although he has done better.

He’s becoming quite prolific, and I think he should give himself some time before the next release, because this album, while good, seems to suggest he is beginning to spread his immense talents dangerously thin.

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