Conor Oberst - Ruminations (October 14 2016) Album • Page 8

Exactly, just in my case, a really dark and confusing time - this album was my anchor

 

I think I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is somewhat responsible because that album kind of overshadowed DAIADU for me.

 

Digital ash is great

 

I'm sure that's the case with a lot of people

funny how a marketing decision can have such impact with regards to an "indie" artist

 

I wish this was all done under bright eyes. I get it though if he played shows he would be expected to play from all of the bright eyes album this way he can focus on the last two records more

 

well... it's not really BE, tho

 

To me anything he does is bright eyes I mean it was originally just him. All of the bright eyes records sound different anyway

 

yeah, maybe you're right

although for some reason my brain does separate his work - there is a reason why he does so

 

I tend to see it like this: Bright Eyes has always (aside from the "Collection Of Songs" album) heavily involved Mike Mogis and I'd argue he's responsible for a large amount of the "Bright Eyes sound", especially in terms of production and arrangement. Therefore it kind of makes sense that anything that doesn't involve him would go under a different name, as it does have a different underlying feel to it. I guess you could say although the same guy is writing the songs, someone else is helping to dress them up. The solo albums tend to have a totally different set of musicians to Bright Eyes too, with only a few Bright Eyes musicians ever appearing on his solo albums. In the end it's just a name, Conor makes brilliant songs whether playing as Bright Eyes, The Mystic Valley Band, Solo or any of his other projects.

As for this album, I'm really enjoying it at the moment! It's one of his most solid and concise albums in a very long time. I really like that it is a true solo album, and the fact there is so little going on in the songs (in terms of arrangement) really allows his songwriting to shine. Barbary Coast (Later) is already one of my all time favourite Conor songs, along with Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out.

 

To me, that's kind of like saying any musical group Thom Yorke is associated with, you view it as Radiohead.

 

Conor has been putting out solo records since before bright eyes, and since 2008 after not doing any since 96. Even though bright eyes is definitely Conor steering the ship it's still a collaborative group and process. The solo records are just him. It makes sense for him to separate the two. This album would make no sense as a bright eyes record. I'm sure when the inspiration strikes he'all return to the bright eyes name. In the mean time he's still pumping out top quality stuff alone and with desa

 

I'm loving this album so much.

 

Songwriting wise I don't think his solo stuff is really different from bright eyes, to me it more or less continues down the path of "kind of out of new ideas" that began somewhere around when he was half done cassadaga. But Mike mogis (and Nate on the later stuff) have a huge effect on the arrangements so I guess I agree it makes sense to look at them as two separate entities

Lifted and wide awake are so far and away the best things he's done imo, he got close on fevers and mirrors and digital ash but those two are just on firing on all cylinders lyrically and musically the entire time. This is the first thing he's done in nearly a decade that hasn't bored me to tears.

 

Not sure if this was mentioned, but the cut of Tachycardia on the RSD Black Friday single will be a different version -- a full band take.

Record Store Day's Rumoured 2016 Black Friday Exclusives Leak on Reddit

 

God damn, so much new music this month. I'm checking this out soon as I get home.

 

Listened twice and so far, I'm liking this album a lot. Unfortunately, it feels like an album that'll greatly benefit from my full attention rather than my half-lucid state after working the graveyard shift. The back half is crazy strong, and I can't believe that the album was recorded in only two days. Of all the hype releases this month, I have a feeling that this one will be my favorite.

 

Didn't mike mogis produce this album though?

 

Mentioned this in the thread earlier. There are three releases I REALLY want.

Conor Oberst
Tokyo Police Club
Dustin Kensrue

Apparently that's not the complete list though either.

 

He mixed it according to the album booklet, but I was referring more to how involved he is in the writing, performing and arranging of the songs.

 

Lol it was just a funny point I guess

 

this is growing a fuck ton on me. counting sheep was stuck in my head all day yesterday

 

The little note on the back cover is intriguing. Seems to allude to some studio work Conor is doing.

"I had heard through the family grapevine that he was cutting a new studio record in California with my bros and the eternal drum guru Jim Keltner. But this was not that..."

 

What an album. Spent some more time with it this weekend and it feels like Conor came full circle with more simplistic songwriting here. Very dark subject matter, but, as usual, stunning in its honesty.

 

Life is a gas, what can you do?
Catheter piss, fed through a tube
A cyst in the brain, blood on the bamboo


oof

 

Sounds about right. Typical Conor lyrics ha.