Phoebe Bridgers has a thing for supergroups. She followed up her Boygenius team-up by pairing with indie singer-songwriter Conor Oberst to form the band Better Oblivion Community Center.
Oberst, the one-man band behind Bright Eyes, also has a thing for supergroups. He released a great album in 2009 as Monsters of Folk, alongside Jim James of My Morning Jacket and singer-songwriter M. Ward.
Bridgers and Oberst became friends and occasional collaborators in 2016 and in 2018 started writing songs together in earnest. At first they thought those songs would end up on each other’s solo albums, or perhaps be given to other artists, but before long they realized they had am album’s worth of material.
They decided to record as a new entity to remove the project from the expectations of their solo work, and came up with the name Better Oblivion Community Center because they felt it evoked the idea of optimism in the face of impending doom.
This album does stand out as distinct from either artist’s usual output. It’s more upbeat and more political. The blend of Bridgers’ sadly beautiful voice and Oberst’s earnest rasp really hits a sweet spot.
As far as I know, this was a one-off and the duo have no plans to release more material under this band name. But I’d certainly welcome a Volume 2.
🎵 Part of the Phoebe Bridgers Deep Dive 🎵
This post is part of my exploration of Phoebe Bridgers’ studio catalog.
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It was quite early one morning
Hit me without warning
I went to hear the general speak
I was standing for the anthem
Banners all around him
Confetti made it hard to see
[Verse 2: Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers]
Put my footsteps on the pavement
Starved for entertainment
Four seasons of revolving doors
So sick of being honest
I’ll die like Dylan Thomas
A seizure on the barroom floor
[Chorus: Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers]
I’m getting greedy with this private hell
I’ll go it alone, but that’s just as well
[Verse 3: Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers]
These cats are scared and feral
The flag pins on their lapels
The truth is anybody’s guess
These talking heads are saying
“The king is only playing
A game of four dimensional chess”
[Verse 4: Phoebe Bridgers]
There’s flowers in the rubble
The weeds are gonna tumble
I’m lucid but I still can’t think
I’m strapped into a corset
Climbed into your corvette
I’m thirsty for another drink
[Verse 5: Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers]
If it’s advertised, we’ll try it
And buy some peace and quiet
And shut up at the silent retreat
They say you’ve gotta fake it
At least until you make it
That ghost is just a kid in a sheet
[Chorus: Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers]
I’m getting used to these dizzy spells
I’m taking a shower at the Bates Motel
I’m getting greedy with this private hell
I’ll go it alone, but that’s just as well
Meet Me In Montauk 
Okay, now you’re really stretching the conventional definition of “supergroup!” Heck, they’re not even a group! They’re a duo. I don’t recall collaborations by Barry Gibb and Barbara Streisand, two far more famous people teaming up, being labeled a supergroup or even a super duo.
Somewhere from the beyond, Roy Orbison, George Harrison and Tom Petty are reaching out to Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynn and questioning what’s going on down here!
Now that’s an interesting question… does a duo count as a supergroup? I’ll argue that if they assume a new band name, like this one, then yes.