Before Christmas a new project appeared online called Better Oblivion Community Center. The anonymous project advertised brochures for their "2019 program", leaving nothing but a phone number for followers to call in the hope of finding out more.

The brochure included a date (23 January), and a mix of "services" available, including assisted self-care, chosen family therapy, and dry ice meditation, to name a few.

Now the cat is out of the bag, as Better Oblivion Community Center is revealed to be a project helmed by singer/songwriters Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, and even better, they've just released a surprise album.

Their self-titled debut album was recorded in LA last summer, and is co-produced by Bridgers, Oberst, and frequent Oberst/Bright Eyes collaborator Andy LeMaster. Mixed by John Congleton, Better Oblivion Community Center features contributions from Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Carla Azur (Autolux, Jack White), Wylie Gelber and Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes), and more.

"Dylan Thomas" is their lead single from the record, having just performed it on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Oberst and Bridgers previously collaborated on an Amazon Produced By series recording of Oberst's "LAX" with Simone Felice. Before that they also shared the same stage, with Bridgers supporting Oberst on tour in 2017. The pair also worked together on Bridgers' Stranger In The Alps track "Would You Rather".

Tracklist:

1. I Didn't Know What I Was In For
2. Sleepwalkin'
3. Dylan Thomas
4. Service Road
5. Exception To The Rule
6. Chesapeake
7. My City
8. Forest Lawn
9. Big Black Heart
10. Dominoes