Album Review: Conor Oberst Goes From Ruminations To Salutations

The most beautiful thing about music is that it makes you dream. Conor Oberst’s Salutations feels like his dreamiest album yet. While the folk singer can muster up an honest vision of the reality of living daily life, Salutations feels like a 17-track opus to romance life. It could be the instrumental backing from the band The Felice Brothers and legendary drummer Jim Keltner that elevates the poesy of this poignant artist.

Conor Oberst – Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out (Official Video)

Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out

I reviewed Conor Oberst last album, Ruminations, and marvel at what a difference the backing of a fellow great artist/ band can do to elaborate what you already have. Lyrically, Conor Oberst can make you see piercing truths about how torn we can feel about life. Sometimes, you want to hug the world like in songs “Gossamer Thin” or “Afterthought” where Oberst marvels at how present love can be when your lover is by your side and how fleetingly it could turn when they are not. As usual, Oberst never fails to approach a gain without looking at a loss, but in re-vamping Ruminations’ classics like “You All Loved Him Once” and “Till Saint Dymphna’s Kicks Us Out” through the instrumental and vocal backing of The Felice Brothers band, Salutations turns the melancholic Ruminations into hope. Do not get me wrong I loved Ruminations, and the lyrics and themes have not changed. “A Little Uncanny” and “Counting Sheep” are still about the transformative, negative power of pain on a person and their relationships with others. Yet, when you get a winding electric guitar, an accordion, and even a guest stint from a violin, the whole dynamic of the song and Oberst alters. Suddenly, Oberst is not a lone folk-hero as he was in Ruminations. Now, he has more of country blues/rock feel that shows a duality to his stardom by revealing how well he plays with others.

Conor Oberst – A Little Uncanny

A Little Uncanny

By adding the instrumentals of The Felice Brothers and Jim Keltner, Oberst’ music feels as if it has been infused with sonic hope to combat what, at times, can be grim lyrics. Oberst’s has an uncanny ability to emanate the anguish and disappointment that emotionally stirs when life hands you hurt while you deserved help. For me, this makes him eternally/spiritually relevant and fearless in approaching the messiness of life. Yet, when you hear “Napalm” “Empty Hotel By The Sea”, and “Salutations” have a kicking drum or a riffing guitar, you go from the “lonely-room mindset” of Ruminations to a lively bar where you are telling your woes to your friends. The difference is staggering in terms of energy, even if, again, the themes do not change. Think of how different you feel when you are sulking alone compared to when you are sulking with friends; you may be dwelling on the same pain, but the surrounding of your friends brings comfort. Thus, The Felice Brothers and Jim Keltner feel like added comfort to both listeners and Oberst. In addition, his vocals seem gentler as they maintain their singular bounce over their new rhythmic foundation. From the melancholic harmonies of “Next of Kin” to the more gleeful drawl of “Anytime Soon” having the backing vocals of Ian Felice makes you feel charmed by the fresh warmth it adds to Oberst.

Conor Oberst – Napalm (Official Audio)

Napalm

I felt happier and livelier with Salutations added instrumentals because it coats the pain of Oberst’s imaginative and raw poetry like music medicine. Although Oberst does not stop giving surgery to our spiritual wounds, he is now supported by a music that makes me feel therapeutic in recovering. For More Information On Conor Oberst And To Buy Salutations On March 17 Click Here.