Conor Oberst - "Conor Oberst" (Merge)

Those of you who are wondering what makes Conor Oberst any different from a Bright Eyes release should join the crowd... there just isn't that much difference. Oberst has always treated Bright Eyes as a solo expression, so his reasons for using his name on this album remain unclear.

The good news – if you are a Bright Eyes fan – is that Conor Oberst is another consistently good Oberst release, full of the same folky fervor and interesting songwriting that you've come to expect from the prolific 28-year-old artist. The album was recorded in rather rural conditions in Mexico with the Mystic Valley Band (which actually includes a couple of Bright Eyes vets – Nate Walcott & Jason Boesel. Songs like "Danny Callahan", "Get Well Cards" and the Dylan-goes-polka "I Don’t Want To Die (In The Hospital)" will hold up the Oberst/Bright Eyes legacy nicely.

He's a guy who's earned a reputation as alt-dom's soul with his thoughtful lyrics, but Oberst also has a knack for writing memorable melodies from time-to-time, which vaults him over many of his contemporaries.

Written by Dan Reed