It’s really hard for me to write about a Conor Oberst album because Bright Eyes is and will forever be one of my favorite bands of all time. When Oberst started to release solo albums again in 2008, I was a bit tepid. His self-titled album sounded like a lighter version of a Bright Eyes Album, which was an odd feeling. The album lacked the overwrought lyrics or powerful meanings that every Bright Eyes album had preceding it. The over-the-top dramatics that ended feeling poetic is part of the reason Bright Eyes became such an important band to me, so when Oberst began his simpler solo projects I was turned off. However, when I say this was his best solo released album to date, I mean it.
I will admit that I haven’t paid much attention to his solo projects prior to his self-titled in 2008, but the progression of Oberst as a musician is evident here. It’s somewhat of a call back to the effortless and intimate “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning,” while still drawing from the Southern California Folk Pop that led his recent return to solo work. While his album doesn’t become as tragic as his previous work in Bright Eyes, the introspection feels so genuine.
The mix of upbeat folk with the melancholy of the lyrics end up working to support Oberst’s vocals and its simple instrumentation become a refreshing reminder of Oberst’s long career that allowed him to mature as a musician.
While much of the album featured strong storytelling, none are as complete and profound as that in “Enola Gay.” The 2:24 song features one of the most lyrically honest songs (“mashing Charles Mason songs up with show tunes”) of Oberst’s career set against such a beautifully complex instrumentation that plays off mostly like a classic mellow California folk rock groove, but includes small piano interludes that add a whimsical feeling to the song. Eventually the song builds into one of the most haunting endings of any song I’ve ever heard.
Overall, Upside Down Mountain is a massive step in the Canon that is Conor Oberst. For some musicians unhappy is them at their best. I will put in that I have been wildly anticipating Death Cab’s post-Ben Gibbard divorce album for some time now. However, the need for raw unadulterated emotion is unnecessary, which is what makes Conor Oberst one of the great musicians of our time. His work always feels so urgent. Whether it be about not knowing love until I met you or about a bad break up his music begs to be heard. This album begs to be heard because of its great storytelling and ability to tap into the emotions we feel as we all gradually move toward death. As a fan of Oberst I am thrilled that he is still able to put out this quality of work, as a lover of music I am thrilled he is able to speak truths in an industry full of bulls**t.
Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.