Personnel: Conor Oberst (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, electric piano); Nik Freitas (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, electric piano); Taylor Hollingsworth (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Nate Walcott (vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer); Jason Boesel (vocals, drums, percussion); Corina Figueroa Escamilla, Andy LeMaster, Macey Taylor Sr. (vocals).

Audio Mixer: Andy LeMaster.

Audio Remasterer: Bob Ludwig.

Recording information: Sonic Ranch Studios, Tornillo, TX (11/2008-12/2008).

Author: Walt Whitman & the Soul Children .

Photographers: Jacob Feinberg-Pyne; Butch Hogan; Jason Boesel.

When Bright Eyes mainman Conor Oberst assembled The Mystic Valley Band after releasing one album only under his own name, it would have been easy to assume they were simply backing musicians who would never impose on the singer/songwriter's suzerainty, but their first album together, OUTER SOUTH, proves otherwise. While Oberst is still quite obviously holding the reins, three of the MVB members--guitarists Nik Freitas and Taylor Hollingsworth and drummer Jason Boesel--contribute songs of their own and step up to the microphone to deliver them. The overall vibe hasn't changed enormously since the last Oberst album; an organic roots-rock sound prevails, but there's a bit more rock & roll edge here, and yes, more of a band feel to the tracks. And while Oberst's compositions are certainly the most memorable on OUTER SOUTH, those of his bandmates stand up well amongst them. In any case, Oberst sure has come a long way from the nervous-voiced teen who dripped lo-fi acoustic angst all over those early Bright Eyes releases.

Conor Oberst's Mystic Valley Band initially seemed a bit like a busman's holiday, a way for him to throw off whatever expectations he had as Bright Eyes, a way to get a bit loose and rowdy. The Mystic Valley Band is turning into something more -- not quite a full-fledged multi-headed beast the way the Byrds were at their peak, but not Dylan pushing through the Rolling Thunder Revue as its undisputed leader, either. The Mystic River Band turns out to be a bit of an oddity: a group with a clear-cut leader that manages to seem egalitarian, particularly here on Outer South where Oberst recedes from the spotlight on a whopping six of the 16 tracks, letting his bandmates sing their own songs. This behavior is atypical for singer/songwriters, but it fits the spirit of Outer South, an album written, recorded and about the road -- a roadworn clich‚ that always gets reinvigorated whenever its executed with gusto, as it is here, partially due to Oberst spreading the wealth. Having three other singers here makes Outer South a bit messy, but it speaks to what makes the album work: it's about playing, not the song. Which isn't to say that there aren't good songs here, as there are -- the ratio is as strong as they were on Conor Oberst, testament to Oberst's steady work ethic paying back craftsman dividends -- but what impresses is the spirit and the sound, how the band sounds like it's consistently on the move, not quite caring whether they're taking the direct route, as long as it's scenic. Oberst himself seems swept up in the motion -- he's dropped his vocal affectations, his grandiose couplets, he's happy to be leading a group that feels like a band of brothers -- one that might not always sing in the same voice, but share a sensibility, something that gives Outer South a big human heart. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Spin (p.94) - "His 'White Shoes' is as gently, starkly brilliant as his 'Roosevelt Room' is raggedly glorious..."

Billboard (p.34) - "[T]here are some dead-on hits, especially the banging opener 'Slowly Oh So Slowly'...and the easy standout 'Nikorette,' all slidey riffs and fierce, vulnerable vocals."

Q (Magazine) (p.129) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's superbly played, mixing deft guitar riffing with explosive drums, Byrdsian jangles or flashes of organ, but more significantly Oberst gives way to a more democratic, ensemble approach."

Record Collector (magazine) (p.132) - "Jason Boesel's Adam Duritz-esque timbre, particularly on 'Difference Is Time,' is a perfect counterpart to Oberst's..."