BOCC

Better Oblivion Community Center

Better Oblivion Community Center

Dead Oceans

BOCC is Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers, who made a splash with this album when it was released earlier this year. Fans of both will be very pleased by what’s here. I am more of a Bridgers fan. I saw her live last year touring behind her own album, Stranger In the Alps, and she was amazing. I like Conor, too, but sometimes he’s a little too smart alecky for my taste.

These ten songs are gently wry and cynical about life’s ups and downs, but both sing beautifully, and these songs are more wry than cynical, even as the opening track, “Didn’t Know What I was in For,” is about being committed involuntarily.

The music is the folk side of indie rock, and at times much more folk than rock. It all adds up to a good experience, and is unlike what they've done before. That's all to the good, as it shows they’re flexible.

Andrea Weiss