Conor Oberst
When Conor Oberst’s voice comes to mind, many of us often picture a terrified, fourteen year-old about to perform for the very first time at their high school talent competition. We grew to love his home made vibrato, even when screeching his way through the track Manana on the short lived Desaparecidos self-titled from 2002 or reaching deep down for his coffee grinder sounding western roots in 2008 with the Mystic Valley Band, we always knew it was him and that is arguably the best kind of voice to have, the recognizable kind.
Conor Oberst’s newest release, Upside Down Mountain is arguably the most satisfying record he’s put out since the release of Conor Oberst, the 2008 self- titled and first outing with the Mystic Valley Band. Here on Upside Down Mountain we find a more finely tuned version of the emo-tremble that lets us all know it’s him over the years, along with refreshingly interesting guitar work, a variety of instruments and the prolific, lyrical acrobatics that we always knew Oberst would pen once again.
While the days of Bright Eyes often dig up sadder memories, lower melodies and a slightly more depressed overall tone of drunk and alone, his solo material has always seemed to symbolize a musical as well as physical freedom.
The undertones of a Mexican summer spent sucking on limes from tequila soaked hands that he so perfectly imparted on us back in 2008 will serve well as good memories but to be fair, that was six years ago. At thirty four and with four years of marriage behind him, the music seems to have moved on from twenty-something brooding and uncertainty to a more mature sound that makes us wonder whether or not he’s gently poking fun at those years gone by.
Oberst was good enough to release a video for the track Zigzagging Toward the Light, which features the singer taking the long and lonely walk up and down the grid of Manhattan that anyone who has moved to New York to start over is very familiar with. He sums up the track with one of my favourite lines of his to date: “True love, it hides like city stars, nothing to gaze upon or contemplate, how near or far.” That leaves us, along with Mr. Oberst to decide whether we’ll be imbibing this evening because we’re feeling down in the city or because we’re happy to be out to hear some good music. Either way, cheers.
Conor Oberst is playing London tonight at KOKO on Camden High Street, tickets are still available! For more info visit the Venue’s webpage.
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