El Obo is the solo side-project of Colour Revolt frontman Jesse Coppenbarger, created in 2004 as an outlet for his accumulated material that did not quite fit the "loud rock band" mold of his full time outfit. His El Obo debut, Oxford Basement Collection, is the culmination of five years of sporatic songwriting and recording that occurred in multiple studios with the assistance of numerous friends/musicians (including Steven Bevilaqua of Flight on guitar and Jr. Kimbrough's son Kinney on drums) who stepped in at various stages of the project to contribute to Jesse's overall vision.
Tracks like the haunting "Young Ones" and endearing "Vrgn Evl" are timeless in nature, and clearly lift the El Obo material up as some of the greatest in the Coppenbarger canon. Fans of Colour Revolt tracks like "Moses of the South" will certainly appreciate these kindred tunes that focus in on Jesse's impressive vocal range and seasoned singer/songwriter capabilities. Oxford Basement Collection is a "deluxe edition" LP/CD release, and the enclosed CD contains three bonus tracks not featured on the vinyl.