I hadn’t given too much thought to why Conor Oberst has been releasing records under his own name, as opposed to using the Bright Eyes brand, because I didn’t think his 2008 solo debut for Merge differed all that greatly from the last Bright Eyes record, Cassadaga. It’s only natural to feel stifled by something that pins you in a corner artistically, and, I suppose, the Bright Eyes tag carries with it some baggage Oberst wanted to jettison, at least for a while. He’s been delving into the Americana schtick pretty heavily, and his new song, “Nikorette”, stays on course. It’s a very loose, mid-tempo, swinging affair, replete with Oberst’s usual dose of oddball observations. Outer South is out May 5 on Merge.

Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band – Nikorette.mp3