Conor Oberst: Full Concert | NPR Music Front Row

‘Ruminations’ is one of Conor Oberst’s most personal records — and it was a surprise, even for its creator. He didn’t intend to make an album — he was trying to recover from exhaustion after he was rattled by a health scare, a cyst on his brain. But when he left New York, N.Y., and moved back to his hometown of Omaha, Neb., the songs started coming. He recorded ‘Ruminations’ on piano, guitar and harmonica in 48 hours during the winter after he moved home. The result is a collection of brave, dark songs that