It’s been two years since Conor Oberst’s last solo effort, Upside Down Mountain, and it’s evident that the musician has been through some things since. His new album, Ruminations, which was recorded in a mere 48-hour span, is an acoustic-folk effort that features only Oberst’s voice, a guitar, a piano and a harmonica. It’s notably intimate, as if he’s singing directly to you in his living room, and there is a sense that he has something to get out in the songs. “Counting Sheep” is particularly sparse and impactful, released mostly through the poetry of the singer’s lyrics. “A Little Uncanny” amps up the instrumentation slightly, bolstered by Dylan-esque harmonica, and allows Oberst to balance his mournful lines with a propulsive melody. The musician’s strength has always been in his narrative-based lyrics, which often recount characters and places with deep clarity, and these tracks, which he has referred to as “sketches,” offer the perfect platform for that sort of storytelling. “Next of Kin” is the best example of this rhythmical lyricism, building to a beautiful, evocative song that lingers after Oberst becomes silent. It’s unclear exactly what he’s been through and what feelings he’s trying to sort through, but the album’s content does perfectly reflect its title. It will leave you wondering and considering things, whatever they are, too.