May 21st, 2012 
Josh Hammond 
Artist: Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band
Album: One Of My Kind
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: Team Love
Being a music nerd at heart, I often waste countless hours pondering unrealistic situations in music and how they might be different if they had taken place in an alternate time period. For example, on multiple occasions my mind has wandered to a place in which Bob Dylan’s career had peaked around the year 2000. I found myself wondering what would his songs have sounded like. Would he have utilized the complexities of modern instruments? What circles would he have frequented and what causes would he have been passionate about? Would Dylan of now have been as historic as Dylan of old?
Sadly, since I have no access to Doc Brown, plutonium or a delorean/time machine combo, these questions will never be answered. However, I can in good conscience, admit that I believe that Conor Oberst is as close as our generation will come to seeing a Bob Dylan.
Like Dylan, Oberst tends to be more of a storyteller than a recording artist. His songs narrate descriptions of plots and images regarding his world, and the views he walks away with as a result of it. Heavy with a sharp tongue and wise mind, his lyrics swing for the fences every time he opens his mouth. Also like Dylan, without fail, if Oberst pens an album, it is of a higher quality. The phrase B-side album doesn’t really apply to Conor Oberst. Sure, in theory, when the phrase is broken down to the most simple of forms, it can be seen that the mind behind Bright Eyes has plenty of “leftover shit from previous albums.” However, the stigma that is quite often associated with a B-side album being packed full of tracks not being of a certain standard simply does not apply to “One Of My Kind.” This is not a fan only album. This is the overwhelming proof that Oberst’s cutting room floor holds more gold than most other artists’ best album.
Disagree? Disprove it. You can do your best to write my words off as a silly man-crush on Omaha’s favorite son, but there is no lawyer speak you could throw my way that would assist in painting them wrong. The facts are on the mix.
Take for example, the album’s title track, “One Of My Kind.” With guitar and synthesizer blended perfectly with the pissed off confessionals of his lyrics, Oberst’s signature style of frantically hopeless fear again bleeds through in beautiful harmonies. Throughout the song, Oberst throws his middle fingers in every direction, singling out his childhood friends, his old stomping ground and every other person who’s crossed his path in his life. The song not only kicks open the door for the paranoia that will peek through the album, it sets a tone that walks a tight rope of indie rock and alt country. Think of what the bastard love child of Kevin Devine and Ryan Adams would sound like if Republicans would let them breed.
THAT is the quality of a song Conor cut.
Tied in with the accidental documentary, also titled “One Of My Kind,” the album is worth a look. The concept alone is rather fascinating. Director Phil Shaffart had not been hired to make a film at all. He was simply on the scene to make sure the guitars didn’t sound like shit. But being in the right place at the right time, Phil happened to be in Valle Mistico in Tepoztlan, Mexico in January of 2008 with video camera in hand as the Mystic Valley Band was born. Almost out of instinct, he started filming. “When I started filming, none of us had the intentions of turning what was being shot into a film,” says Phil, “but the things we were seeing, feeling and capturing with the music proved to be inspiring in ways we were not prepared for.”
It its simplest form, this release can be thought of as a piece of musical history. Viewers and listeners are given access to the earliest days of one of our greatest artists. However, casual fans will also walk away with a strong grasp of who Oberst is in terms of musicianship. While this release may not be “Digital Ash in a Digital Urn,” it certain isn’t a throw away release. It deserves love.
SCORE: 7/10
Review written by: Joshua Hammond
- REVIEW TIMES TWO: Kevin Devine – ‘Bubblegum’ & ‘Bulldozer’ - October 21, 2013
- TLC Return With New Album, Biopic, and Surprise Announcement - July 25, 2013
- REVIEW: Driver Friendly – Peaks + Valleys - June 11, 2013
Posted in 
Tags: 
Nice review. He is a very interesting artist- I’ll check it out
My only other comment is really a question: what makes you think Bob Dylan’s career has peeked yet?
Over the course of 50 or so years writers and critics explain that this or that period was Dylan’s peak- starting with his first electric performance. He was and discarded by many. Over time he has been repeatedly written off as someone whose best work was behind him only to release a new album deemed “important” by those same critics. (not implying that you meant anything of the kind.) In fact often you find critics revising some vitriolic dismissal of a particular album and dismissal of Bob as no longer relevant- whatever that means.
Oops- something weird happened and I couldn’t finish my post. I’m on a mobile so maybe that had something to do with it. Sorry for a 2 parter.
My point is that each time the consensus is that Dylan’s best work is behind him he comes out and reblows your mind! There is a new album being readied for release in the next couple of months. Can’t wait to see what that sly old trickster is going to pull out of his sleeve this time.
Ani Difranco is closer to this generations Dylan than Oberst. This is from a Fan of Oberst.