Record Review: Conor Oberst — Upside Down Mountain

Latest project from Bright Eyes frontman should lease longtime fans.

May 19, 2014 at 2:19 pm
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Conor Oberst
Upside Down Mountain
Saddle Creek 

It’s been a long time since Conor Oberst first began making angst-ridden teens weep in their black-cloaked bedrooms, pining for release from unrequited love and the pains of adolescence to tunes like “Something Vague” and “A Perfect Sonnet.” Upside Down Mountain is his latest project, and it’s lush with backing instrumentation and vocals, modern and fresh. Oberst’s vocals convey his awkwardly honest lyrics with candor, and the track list offers a good balance of ups and downs. A delicious edition to his discography, Upside Down Mountain will please longtime fans of Oberst, as well as the younger generation of emotionally aware music lovers.   —Alysa Offman