PT Bruiser

4. Outer South by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

When I first heard Outer South, I was unimpressed. I wrote it off as nothing more than one big B-side to 2008’s Conor Oberst and didn’t listen to it much for several weeks. But as I began to listen to it more, I began to fall in love with each song, one by one. First “Big Black Nothing.” Then “Slowly (Oh So Slowly).” Then “Cabbage Town.” And so on. Of the sixteen tracks, there are only three that I don’t really like, and the ones that I do like, I like a lot. Some have criticized Conor for letting other members of the band write songs and sing. I don’t even mind that; I have an affection for “Air Mattress” that is more than just ironic, even if that’s how it started out. All in all, a great album, full of that rockin’ folk we’ve come to expect from Conor in recent years.