Conor Oberst - Self Titled

What is with the Conor Oberst backlash I've been hearing lately? I realize the dude has risen to some level of popularity and the teenage girls are all in love with him, but it doesn't change the fact that he is still an extremely prolific songwriter who deserves his props. From what I've seen personally, the people that don't like him seem to be incredibly misinformed and a tad biased. First of all, there are some who are quick to lump him into the much maligned 'emo' category. Bright Eyes is not emo! I cannot stress this enough! Unless you consider Bob Dylan, Paul Westerberg, John Doe or Jay Farrar to be emo, but I doubt that this is the case. (Before the flames start, I should also add that I'm not saying that he's necessarily as good as these other artists, just that his style is certainly from the same school of thought.) Also, there are others who claim to have hated him since way back when, but I'd venture to guess that such ones have likely not looked much further back than last years mediocre Cassadaga release. Search out some of his older songs such as Waste Of Paint, Nothing Gets Crossed Out or even Lua, and tell me that he doesn't have something. If you have honestly and truthfully done all that already and you still genuinely hate him, well, that's cool. I respect your opinion.

For myself, I'll be the first to admit that I don't love everything he's ever touched. The most consistent thing about Conor is his inconsistency. But when he gets it right, boy does he get it right! Waste Of Paint for example, is easily my favourite song of the last ten years. However, as alluded to, Cassadaga did absolutely nothing for me so, needless to say, I wasn't exactly rushing out to listen to his latest solo self titled release. But now that I have, I have to say that it's actually pretty good. It opens with Cape Canaveral, a decent number that shows that he still has the gift of clever wordplay, even if the melody isn't quite as strong as one would hope for as an album opener. Sausalito is a little bit better, sounding a bit like something we would hear on a Mark Knopfler / Emmylou Harris duets album. This means that it falls into a slightly adult contemporary area, albeit a better than average one. The first really great song is Lenders In The Temple, which showcases more of a stripped down approach. He doesn't stretch his voice like he used to, but it still sounds a little bit more personal than we've been hearing from him lately. Souled Out!!! is an obvious choice for a single, with its solid melody and shout along chorus. For this album though, Conor saves the best for last. Milk Thistle is the little ditty about death that closes the album, and proves that he still has the ability to expose his soul for all to hear when he really wants to. It's a truly captivating song that ranks with some of his best work. The rest of the album has some decent songs, and several throwaways too, but if you can avoid comparing it to 2002's Lifted... or 2005's Wide Awake..., then you'll find it to be a very enjoyable listen. That is unless of course, you hate him. In which case you won't like it.

Myspace: Conor Oberst
Video: Souled Out!!! on youtube