Conor Oberst's new album, Ruminations, is due out on Nonesuch Records in two weeks, on Friday, October 14. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full below as an NPR First Listen. Oberst wrote the unexpectedly raw, unadorned solo album last winter, while hibernating in his hometown of Omaha after living in New York City for more than a decade.

"Here, Oberst's distinctive warble is set against a spare patchwork of acoustic guitar, piano and the occasional harmonica, drawing most of the attention squarely to his words," writes NPR Music's Stephen Thompson. His "songwriting remains on point ... [T]hese are some of Oberst's darkest and most personal songs ... That unsparing quality helps Ruminations stand out, no matter how simple its adornment."

Read the complete review at npr.org/music.

To reserve a copy of Ruminations, head to iTunes or the Nonesuch Store, where CD orders include a download of the complete album available on release day.

As noted earlier this week, Oberst will mark the release of the new album by performing it in its entirety for an audience of contest winners at NYC's Housing Works Bookstore Cafe on release day, October 14. NPR Music will webcast the show live on its site and Facebook page as part of the First Listen Live series. Conor Oberst will be the musical guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 24.

Conor Oberst began a tour of intimate solo shows at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo last night. He returns to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Franicsco's Golden Gate Park on Friday, hosting the Rooster Stage all day today, for the third annual Conor Oberst Brings Friends for Friday, and remains in California for the weekend, playing sold-out shows at The Fillmore in San Francisco with Jim James on Saturday and The Glass House in Ponoma on Sunday. For additional tour details, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

The NPR Music First Listen embed was replaced with a Spotify embed following the album's release.