For the follow-up to last year's " Conor Oberst [ tickets ]" LP, Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band are basking in Americana sunshine-drenched songs full of southern rock flair and folk guitar melodies.

Oberst sounds more laid back and compromising than ever--sharing songwriting and lead vocal duties with band mates Jason Boesel, Nik Freitas and Taylor Hollingsworth. Lyrically, he ditches Bright Eyes' dark introspection and inner-instability; instead, he takes a selfless, free-flowing attitude, singing about being there for friends and accepting flaws in both life and people. That's not to say his words are always optimistic; it's more of a "s--- happens" approach to life's letdowns and heartaches. The result is a no-filler, steady-streaming, 16-track collection of Dylan-like reflections and amen-to-that jam spirit.

Although his fellow musicians deliver some powerful performances, Oberst still steals the show. On what is perhaps the album's most somber track, "White Shoes," he revisits the vulnerable vocal warmth and songwriting genius of his earliest solo work. With poetic sensitivity, he sings: "You can wear your new white shoes/In the dirty afternoon/Walking through the traffic fumes/A flower in your hair/And I will swing upon your moods." It's tragic and beautiful--but, for "Outer South," it's merely a quick sidestep from the frolicking folk party. Another poignant reflection comes with "Difference Is Time," a country tune highlighted by Boesel's rich, inviting vocal tones.

Mostly bouncy and carefree, "Outer South" doesn't show any real explosive angst until the Oberst-led "Roosevelt Room." With fiery political battle cries, Oberst utilizes his signature shouts of desperation to rally and bark: "There's no oil in the lamp/And I'd like to write my congressman/But I can't afford the stamp." It's a recession-era mindset to which we can all relate.

With "Outer South," Oberst and his crew effortlessly dazzle us with vibrant synergy, addressing everyday woes with reasonable optimism and refreshing calm.