That didn't take long. Five months after the release of Ruminations, a raw-boned solo record, Bright Eyes singer Conor Oberst will return with a companion piece titled Salutations. The new set, out March 17, will feature all 10 songs from last fall's album — reworked with full-band arrangements — and seven additional tracks.
The songs on Ruminations, according to Oberst, were always meant to be heard with a band; he says the enthusiastic response to the solo versions led him to go a different route. Now, they'll be heard the way they were first intended to sound, with the help of a backing band consisting of The Felice Brothers and veteran drummer Jim Keltner. (Guests on Salutations include Gillian Welch, M. Ward, Maria Taylor, Blake Mills and Jim James, among others.)
Hear the first taste of Salutations, a reworked Ruminations track titled "A Little Uncanny":
Salutations Track Listing
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