Upside Down Mountain
| Upside Down Mountain | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Conor Oberst | ||||
| Released | May 19, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Americana, folk rock, indie rock | |||
| Length | 54:17 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | Jonathan Wilson and Conor Oberst | |||
| Conor Oberst chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk | 95% |
| AllMusic |   |
| Consequence of Sound | B |
| Rolling Stone | |
Upside Down Mountain is the sixth solo studio album by American musician Conor Oberst, released on May 19, 2014, through Nonesuch Records.
The record, according to Oberst, is a return to an earlier style of his songwriting. He explains that the album is about language:
“It’s more intimate or personal, if you will. Even if all my songs come from the same place, you make different aesthetic decisions along the way. For me, language is a huge part of why I make music. I’m not the greatest guitar player or piano player—I’m not the greatest singer, either—but I feel if I can come up with melodies I like that are fused with poetry I’m proud of, then that’s what I bring to the table. That’s why I’m able to do this.”
Oberst and Jonathan Wilson began recording exploratory demos at Wilson's Fivestar Studios in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Oberst continued recording in his native Omaha, Nebraska with Andy LeMaster at ARC Studios in late 2013. Oberst then rejoined with Wilson to continue recording at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.
In support of the album, Oberst toured with Dawes in the spring and summer of 2014. Dawes was also the band backing Oberst during his performances on the tour.
On May 19, 2014, Oberst performed "Zigzagging Toward the Light" with Dawes on The Tonight Show.
Upside Down Mountain was released on May 19, 2014, through Nonesuch Records and is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download.
On May 11, 2014, the entire album was made available to stream online through NPR's First Listen website.
The cover art is a painting by Oberst's friend Ian Felice entitled The Creation of the Bulls.
Upside Down Mountain received largely positive reviews from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, they assign a "weighted average" rating out of 100 to selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, and the album has received an Metascore of a 75, based on 31 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
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Wikipedia