OK, I am a little confused on this one. I just received an email from a legit PR firm that reads:
Two weeks before the release of Conor Oberst’s highly anticipated solo album Conor Oberst, the album will be available for streaming in its entirety on www.conoroberst.com and www.mergerecords.com. These streams will be active from Monday July 21st.
Well, today is Mon., July 21 but neither of the websites listed above are streaming the album. ConorOberst.com, though, is streaming the songs "Danny Callahan" and "Souled Out!!" And I dig 'em, both. They're very roots rock while at the same time Oberst smart. More important, to me, at least, Oberst sounds like he's getting off in that old rock 'n' roll kinda 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.
But what about the album streaming in its entirety? Stay tuned. I just emailed Oberst's PR people.
This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2008.