Salutations

Conor Oberst (Nonesuch Records)

Some of the tracks on Oberst’s latest album will be familiar to those who invested in his solo effort Ruminations. Ten of those have been re-recorded with a full band and he’s added seven more. I preferred the previous version of Gossamer Thin, but the reworked versions of Till St Dymphna Kicks Us Out and Next Of Kin benefit from the added textures. The ‘new new’ songs, especially Too Late To Fixate and the rousing Afterthought, would probably work in any context. He easily manages to sustain the quality throughout.