Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band - Outer South (2009)

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band is the name taken by Conor Oberst and his backing band, which is composed of Nik Freitas (guitar), Taylor Hollingsworth (guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Nate Walcott (keyboards/organ) and Jason Boesel (drums). The band was formed to back Oberst on his 2008 solo album but soon evolved into a band of its own with all members singing and providing songs for 2009’s Outer South.

Outer South is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Conor Oberst and the second to be credited to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. It is Oberst’s first solo album to include songs written and sung by his bandmates. Nik Freitas, Taylor Hollingsworth and Jason Boesel each contributed two songs apiece, and bassist Macey Taylor sings a song written for him by Oberst. The album was released through Merge Records on May 5, 2009.

Conor Oberst‘s Mystic Valley Band initially seemed a bit like a busman’s holiday, a way for him to throw off whatever expectations he had as Bright Eyes, a way to get a bit loose and rowdy. The Mystic Valley Band is turning into something more — not quite a full-fledged multi-headed beast the way the Byrds were at their peak, but not Dylan pushing through the Rolling Thunder Revue as its undisputed leader, either.

The Mystic River Band turns out to be a bit of an oddity: a group with a clear-cut leader that manages to seem egalitarian, particularly here on Outer South where Oberst recedes from the spotlight on a whopping six of the 16 tracks, letting his bandmates sing their own songs. This behavior is atypical for singer/songwriters, but it fits the spirit of Outer South, an album written, recorded and about the road — a roadworn cliché that always gets reinvigorated whenever its executed with gusto, as it is here, partially due to Oberst spreading the wealth.

Having three other singers here makes Outer South a bit messy, but it speaks to what makes the album work: it’s about playing, not the song. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t good songs here, as there are — the ratio is as strong as they were on Conor Oberst, testament to Oberst‘s steady work ethic paying back craftsman dividends — but what impresses is the spirit and the sound, how the band sounds like it’s consistently on the move, not quite caring whether they’re taking the direct route, as long as it’s scenic. 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.

Track listing

1. “Slowly (Oh So Slowly)” (Oberst, Nate Walcott) – 3:34
2. “To All the Lights in the Windows” – 5:42
3. “Big Black Nothing” (Nik Freitas) – 3:39
4. “Air Mattress” (Taylor Hollingsworth) – 2:14
5. “Cabbage Town” – 3:50
6. “Ten Women” – 3:22
7. “Difference Is Time” (Jason Boesel) – 5:36
8. “Nikorette” (Oberst, Freitas) – 4:11
9. “White Shoes” – 5:50
10. “Bloodline” (Freitas) – 4:08
11. “Spoiled” – 3:16
12. “Worldwide” (sung by Macey Taylor) – 3:31
13. “Roosevelt Room” – 5:02
14. “Eagle on a Pole” (Boesel) – 4:38
15. “I Got the Reason #2” – 7:15
16. “Snake Hill” (Hollingsworth) – 4:15

All songs written by Conor Oberst, except where noted.

Mystic Valley Band

• Jason Boesel – drums, vocals, lead vocals (7, 14), percussion (11)
• Nik Freitas – electric guitar, vocals, lead vocals (3, 10), acoustic guitar (3, 6, 10), 12-string electric guitar (5), electric piano (15)
• Taylor Hollingsworth – electric guitar, vocals, lead vocals (4, 16), acoustic guitar (8, 16), 12-string acoustic guitar (11)
• Conor Oberst – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric piano (3), 12-string acoustic guitar (4), electric guitar (5, 10, 13, 15)
• Macey Taylor – bass, vocals, lead vocals (12)
• Nathaniel Walcott – organ, electric piano, upright piano, backup vocals (3, 10), synthesizer (4)

Additional personnel

• Andy LeMaster – backup vocals (3, 13, 14)
• Corina Figureoa-Esamilla and Phillip Schaffart – additional backup vocals (3)

Track information

• The third track, “Big Black Nothing”, is blacked out on the CD label, the booklet and the track listing on the back of the physical packaging.
• The twelfth track, “Worldwide”, was written by Oberst and given to Macey Taylor to sing.
• The fourteenth track, “Eagle on a Pole”, was inspired by a comment made by Sean Foley who said, “I saw an eagle on a pole. I think it was an eagle.” Simon Joyner, friend and mentor of Oberst, said that line would be great for a song, which planted the seed for others in the band to write a song from the line. Jason Boesel‘s version is on this record. Oberst’s version is on Conor Oberst.

Notes
Released: May 5, 2009
Recorded: December 2008 at Sonic Ranch (Tornillo, TX)
Genre: Folk rock, indie rock, Americana
Length: 70:03

Label - Merge Records