Salutations sees Conor Oberst revisiting 2016’s Ruminations, fleshing out the initially sparse effort with a full band and special guests, rearranging the original tracks, and adding a handful of new tracks to round out the album.
For the uninitiated, you may recognize Conor Oberst as the frontman of Bright Eyes, a widely acclaimed indie folk band he started as a teenager that catapulted him into the indie alternative limelight, touted (rightfully so) as a wunderkind, with comparisons to luminaries like Daniel Johnston, Elliot Smith, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Bright Eyes, in it’s numerous iterations and lineups, enjoyed warm praise from both fans and critics alike, however Oberst decided to put the project to pasture, releasing the final Bright Eyes album The People’s Key on February 15, 2011 (Oberst’s birthday).
In the later part of the Bright Eyes project, Oberst began releasing music under Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band (now simply as Conor Oberst), focusing on a simpler stripped down sound in comparison to the alt-country bombast Bright Eyes was quickly becoming known for. In 2016, he released Ruminations, one his most personal records ever, written shortly after an extremely hard period of Oberst’s life, when he was falsely accused of sexual assault and rape by a fan. Following those dark days, Oberst retreated into the studio and recorded the album, largely just himself, his guitar and a harmonica for accompaniment, recorded with minimal layers, often in one take. Ruminations is one of Oberst’s most heartbreaking and brilliant records, yet one that no one would ever wish him to have to write again.
Salutations is the eighth solo studio album by American musician Conor Oberst.
Salutations is difficult to review as a separate record from Ruminations, given how the two albums act as siblings, strikingly similar, though each possessing their own strengths and weaknesses. The album is a relief, in a roundabout way. Hearing Oberst revisit these songs is like watching a friend embrace and work through personal trauma. Something birthed from immense pain and trouble can now be viewed from a vantage point that sits beyond it, after the healing has happened.
But the revision is also the album’s downfall at times, sadly dragging a bit of the brilliance of its predecessor along with it. The raw frayed edges that made the tracks so stark and beautiful have been trimmed, stitched up and tucked away. Songs like “Gossamer Thin”, which initially teetered with a nervous yet relatable anxiety about a lover being lost to someone younger, now sits with a happy-go-lucky swing that makes the track feel immediately glossed over and less stinging, but really does a disservice to the depth of the song writing.
On the flip side, there are several tracks that do sound quite a lot better in their fuller forms. “Counting Sheep” really benefits from the added layering of strings, percussion and backing vocals, playing off the song’s odd cadence and chord voicings. Likewise, “You All Loved Him Once” sees a Ryan Adams-like gritty swagger added to the mix, turning what was a bare bones ode to the past into an ideal anthem to be sung after a few too many rounds.
Salutations does boast a handful of brand new material, most of which will delight fans who have been missing Bright Eyes since it’s dismantling. “Too Late To Fixate” starts the album, perhaps in a statement that this time around, we’re looking at things from a new perspective. “Afterthought” features the cautiously happy swagger and unique lyrical imagery that Oberst is a complete master of, while “Overdue” manages to work some elements of The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses” into the fold.
At the end of the day, a lot of how you’ll perceive Salutations will depend on where you’re jumping on. If you were familiar with Ruminations, it’s possible the album might feel a bit dull and warmed over, but if you’re lucky enough to be listening with uninformed ears, you’re in for a real treat.
When it comes to albums like Salutations, the magic really is in the detail. Stop by your local Richer Sounds and let us help you get the most out of your music collection.
Author: Colin, Chiswick store
