7/10

Surprise releases are all the rage these days, but managing to keep a collaborative surprise release under wraps for so long is no easy feat. Yet managing to keep their collective efforts completely silent for months on end, the folk duo of Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst have now delivered a joint collection, dubbed 'Better Oblivion Community Center'. And from the start, it is clear that the two have looked to create something more than they would have ever conceived within their own solo guises.

While opening up with the humbling and minimal 'Didn't Know What I Was In For', the record quickly picks up the pace and production as it moves through a range of styles that see the duo bring their best efforts to this new record. Breaking away from their conventional demeanours, the collaboration sees the two embark on a more adventurous tone in both songwriting and production style. Opting for more energy and a higher pace throughout, this surprise album manages to pack even more surprises throughout it as it plays.

While it will still appeal to fans of both artists, their coming together has truly allowed them to find a happy middle ground within their chosen directions, and release a wonderfully diverse and eclectic full-length in the process. For now it may seem like a one-off collaboration, but with this much chemistry, we hope they find themselves on the same record again sooner rather than later.