Better Oblivion Community Center (album)

Better Oblivion Community Center is the debut studio album by American indie rock duo Better Oblivion Community Center, composed of Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. The album by the duo was released on January 24, 2019, by Dead Oceans.[1][2][3]

Better Oblivion Community Center
Studio album by Better Oblivion Community Center
Released	January 24, 2019
Recorded	June 2018
Studio	Fivestar (Los Angeles, California)
Length	37:18
Label	Dead Oceans
Producer	Phoebe Bridgers Conor Oberst Andy LeMaster
Conor Oberst chronology
Salutations (2017) Better Oblivion Community Center (2019)
Phoebe Bridgers chronology
Stranger in the Alps (2017) Better Oblivion Community Center (2019) Punisher (2020)

Background and recording

Bridgers and Oberst wrote and recorded the album in secret in Los Angeles in mid- to late 2018.[4]

Music and themes

The album is a loose concept album about the Better Oblivion Community Center, a fictional dystopian wellness facility.[5]

Release and promotion

The album had an elaborate rollout featuring cryptic brochures and a telephone hotline.[5] They performed "Dylan Thomas" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on January 23, 2019.[6] The album was surprise released the next day.

On January 29, 2019, the band announced their initial concert tour of the United States and Europe along with releasing a music video for their initial single, "Dylan Thomas", directed by Michelle Zauner a.k.a. Japanese Breakfast.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.6/10[8]
Metacritic	78/100[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
The 405	7.5/10[10]
Clash	8/10[11]
Consequence of Sound	B[12]
DIY	[13]
Exclaim!	8/10[14]
The Guardian	[15]
The Line of Best Fit	8/10[16]
NME	[17]
Pitchfork	7.7/10[5]
Rolling Stone	[18]

Better Oblivion Community Center has received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on 24 reviews.[9]

Writing for Rolling Stone, Will Hermes said, "The duo harmonize beautifully, Oberst's voice often just a brooding floorboard creak behind Bridgers' brightly bloodshot confidences".[18] David Sackllah of Under the Radar said, "This is a cohesive, creative, and multi-faceted record that will over-joy fans of both artists while offering the spark of magic that so rarely comes with these kinds of collaborations."[19] Sam Walker-Smart of Clash praised the album, stating "its depth, brave sonic choices and chemistry make for a near perfect record. Rather than sticking purely with the sad acoustic vibes, the album effortlessly blends country, electro elements and alt-rock with ease. It's as if the LP was simultaneously recorded in 2018, 2007, and 1993, a tonal greatest hits of hard-hitting emotion and fist-pumping fun."[11] Sarah Murphy of Exclaim! gave the album 8/10, stating "The best parts of the album... are the moments where it doesn't sound exactly like anything either artist has released before."[14]

Accolades

Publication	Accolade	Rank	Ref.
Exclaim!	Top 29 Albums of 2019 (Mid-Year)	9	[20]
Stereogum	Top 50 Albums of 2019 (Mid-Year)	14	[21]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Didn't Know What I Was in For"	4:03
2.	"Sleepwalkin'"	3:12
3.	"Dylan Thomas"	3:36
4.	"Service Road"	3:44
5.	"Exception to the Rule"	2:51
6.	"Chesapeake" (Bridgers, Oberst, Christian Lee Hutson)	4:04
7.	"My City"	4:04
8.	"Forest Lawn" (Bridgers, Oberst, Hutson)	3:46
9.	"Big Black Heart" (Bridgers, Oberst, Adam McIlwee, Ben Walsh)	3:26
10.	"Dominos" (Taylor Hollingsworth)	4:32
Total length:		37:18

Personnel

• Phoebe Bridgers – vocals (1–10), guitar (1–4, 6–8), electric piano (2), baritone guitar (9, 10); production, photography
• Conor Oberst – vocals (1–10), guitar (1, 2, 4, 7–9), baritone guitar (3), piano (4, 10), keyboards (5), Whirly tube (7); production, photography
• Christian Lee Hutson – EBow (1), tambourine (3), guitar (6, 8), pocket piano (6)
• Carla Azar – drums (1, 3, 5, 10), percussion (1,10)
• Andy LeMaster – bass guitar (1), synthesizer (1, 5, 6), programming (5), pocket piano (5), Mellotron (5), samples (10); production, engineering
• Griffin Goldsmith – drums (2, 4, 7, 8, 9), percussion (2, 4, 7, 8, 9)
• Wylie Gelber – bass guitar (2, 4, 7, 8, 9)
• Nick White – keyboard (2)
• Nick Zinner – guitar (3, 10)
• Anna Butterss – bass guitar (3, 5), upright bass (10)
• John Congleton – synthesizer (3); mixing
• Nathaniel Walcott – synthesizer (6)
• Marshall Vore – percussion (9)
• Taylor Hollingsworth – sampled voice (10)
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Nik Freitas – photography
• Nathaniel David Utesch – design, layout

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22]	20
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23]	117
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24]	35
UK Albums (OCC)[25]	76
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[26]	23
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[27]	18
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[28]	7
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[29]	2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[30]	4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[31]	41
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[32]	5
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[33]	3

References

1. DeVille, Chris (January 24, 2019). "Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers Release Surprise Album As Better Oblivion Community Center". Stereogum. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
2. Schatz, Lake (January 24, 2019). "Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers release surprise collaborative album Better Oblivion Community Center: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
3. Colburn, Randall (January 24, 2019). "Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers just dropped an album as Better Oblivion Community Center". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
4. Manno, Lizzie (January 24, 2019). "Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst Surprise-Drop New Collaboration Album, Better Oblivion Community Center". Paste. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
5. Sodomsky, Sam (January 25, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center: Better Oblivion Community Center Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
6. Serota, Maggie (January 24, 2019). "Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers Perform as Better Oblivion Community Center on Colbert". Spin. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
7. Trendell, Andrew (January 29, 2019). "Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst share 'Dylan Thomas' video and announce Better Oblivion Community Center UK and world tour". NME. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
8. "Better Oblivion Community Center by Better Oblivion Community Center reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
9. "Better Oblivion Community Center by Better Oblivion Community Center Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
10. Hakimian, Rob (January 29, 2019). "Review: With Better Oblivion Community Center, Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers have found a fertile middle ground for simple rock delights". The 405. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
11. Walker-Smart, Sam (January 24, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center". Clash. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
12. Sackllah, David (January 27, 2019). "Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst Prove a Natural Fit on Better Oblivion Community Center". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
13. Finn, Rachel (January 24, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center". DIY. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
14. Murphy, Sarah (January 24, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center Better Oblivion Community Center". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
15. Snapes, Laura (January 25, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center: Better Oblivion Community Center review – indie power combo". The Guardian. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
16. Lynch, Ben (January 24, 2019). "Behind the smoke and mirrors, Better Oblivion Community Center is a melancholic delight". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
17. Trendell, Andrew (January 27, 2019). "Phoebe Bridgers & Conor Oberst – 'Better Oblivion Community Center' review". NME. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
18. Hermes, Will (January 24, 2019). "Review: Better Oblivion Community Center Make Soft Rock For Hard Times". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
19. Hall, Michael James (January 28, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center: Better Oblivion Community Center (Dead Oceans) Review". Under the Radar. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
20. "Exclaim!'s Top 29 Albums of 2019 So Far". Exclaim!. June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
21. "Best 2019 Albums So Far". Stereogum. June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
22. "Ultratop.be – Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
24. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
26. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
27. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
28. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
29. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
30. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
31. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
32. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
33. "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.