Conor Oberst
CONOR OBERST
(tampacalling.com. (Posted July 21))
Conor Oberst's self-titled solo debut (all the rest were released as Bright Eyes) doesn't drop until Aug. 5, but as of press time, Merge Records is streaming all of it gratis. When I received the press release July 21, though, only two songs — "Danny Callahan" and "Souled Out!!" — were available. I dug 'em both. They're very roots-rock, while at the same time Oberst-smart. More important, to me at least, the tortured troubadour sounds like he's getting off in that old rock 'n' roll way — especially on "Souled Out!!!," where I detect a sexy swagger in the singer's voice. And the brawny guitar riff is pure classic rock.
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2008.