Photo credit: Nik Freitas
The rumours percolating since summer on fansites, Reddit boards and Twitter were finally confirmed last night when an album entitled Better Oblivion Community Center by Better Oblivion Community Center appeared on DSPs, shortly followed by a live performance of ‘Dylan Thomas‘ on the Late Show With Stephen Colbert on CBS.
The new band, formed by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, kept their plans under wraps for months as they wrote and recorded in Los Angeles in the summer and fall of 2018. By the tail end of the year, rumours were swirling and a mysterious phone number appeared on social media platforms. Fans of both artists began receiving enigmatic brochures in the mail and a bus stop advertising the Better Oblivion Community Center appeared in their hometown of LA. The album – released by Dead Oceans – appeared, without warning, on DSPs and within the hour the band were performing – for the very first time! – on network television.
WATCH: Better Oblivion Community Center perform ‘Dylan Thomas’ on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Produced by Bridgers, Oberst and longtime Oberst/Bright Eyes collaborator Andy LeMaster, Better Oblivion Community Center features the work of several talented friends: Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ guitarist Nick Zinner appears on two tracks (first single ‘Dylan Thomas’ and ‘Dominoes‘) while Carla Azar (Autolux, Jack White) plays drums on half of the album. Dawes’ rhythm section Wylie Gelber and Griffin Goldsmith appear on the other half. Singer/songwriter Christian Lee Hutson contributes guitar and Anna Butterss provides bass. Zinner joined Phoebe and Conor for their live performance on Stephen Colbert, along with the touring band, Emily Retsas, Elizabeth Goodfellow and Christian Lee Hutson.
Better Oblivion Community Center features Phoebe Bridgers (vocals, baritone guitar), Conor Oberst (vocals, piano), Nick Zinner (guitar), Carla Azar (drums, percussion), Anna Butterss (upright bass), Christian Lee Hutson (guitar), Andy LeMaster (samples) and Taylor Hollingsworth (sampled voice).
Produced by Phoebe Bridgers, Conor Oberst and Andy LeMaster. Engineered by Andy LeMaster at Fivestar Studio in Los Angeles. Mixed by John Congleton. All songs were written by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst except ‘Chesapeake’ and ‘Forest Lawn’ by Phoebe Bridgers, Conor Oberst and Christian Lee Hutson. And ‘Dominos’ by Taylor Hollingsworth.
- I Didn’t Know What I Was In For
- Sleepwalkin’
- Dylan Thomas
- Service Road
- Exception To The Rule
- Chesapeake
- My City
- Forest Lawn
- Big Black Heart
- Dominoes
Better Oblivion Community Centre: Website – Twitter – Instagram
