The Omaha World-Herald reports that Conor Oberst will release one more album as Bright Eyes and then retire the name. The album will come out on Saddle Creek Records in 2010, and it's the president of Saddle Creek, Robb Nansel, who spoke with the World-Herald. "My guess, based on what he's expressed to me, is that there will be one more Bright Eyes record and that will be it," Nansel told the paper. That comment came on the heels of a more ambiguous statement Oberst made to Rolling Stone: "It does feel like it needs to stop at some point. I'd like to clean it up, lock the door, say goodbye."

Currently busy with the Monsters of Folk, it makes sense that Oberst, now 29, would want to shelve the musical project he started as a teenager. Once-shelved bands have a habit of resurfacing, though, and musicians' declarations of their plans are not always reliable. For confirmation of this we need only look at Trent Reznor and his will-they-or-won't-they relationship with Twitter. But Bright Eyes or no, Conor Oberst will continue to make and perform music.

[The Omaha World-Herald via Pitchfork]