Bright Eyes, “Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground” (Saddle Creek)

Compare to: Bob Dylan, Neutral Milk Hotel

Conor Oberst is not the voice of a generation, but he should be.

Sadly, many of the Bright Eyes front man’s peers would rather watch MTV News than CNN, read Maxim than Time and wear Abercrombie than Goodwill.

The thing is, “Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground” is simply too good to be ignored by a mainstream audience. It encompasses the insecurities and hopes of both a young man and a relatively young nation.

Whether he’s tapping the human need to tell a story during “Method Acting” (“All I know is I feel better when I sing”) or shame at the presentation of that same tale during “Waste of Paint” (“And everything I have made is trite and cheap and a waste of paint, of tape, of time”), Oberst’s naked emotion tiptoes inches away from shattering.

Oberst discards common pop formulae for pure storytelling; there are no obvious vocal choruses during his journey through 13 Americana, folk and indie tracks that employ instruments including bassoon, oboe and glockenspiel.

Most of “Lifted” is about a sort of awakening. Nearly every song mentions a rising or the lifting of a veil, tying into Oberst’s theme of realization, something that is most obvious on “Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and Be Loved).”

The song features some of his most overtly political lyrics, as he sings “I should stop pointing fingers/ reserve my judgment of all those public action figures, the cowboy president/ So loud behind the bullhorn, so proud they can’t admit when they have made a mistake.”

What is this kid thinking? He’s 22, writing thematic albums with insightful social, political and emotional commentary. And there’s a glockenspiel.

Of course, Bob Dylan was the same age when he released “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.” Oberst is his own folk genius, writing music as pertinent for today as Dylan’s was for the ’60s.

-Christian Dahlager Design Editor

Sparta, “Wiretap Scars” (DreamWorks)

Compare to: Rival Schools, Hum, .And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

Don’t count Jim Ward out of rock music just yet.

Before the rest of his old bandmates had the chance to close the lids on their guitar cases, the ex-guitarist and co-founder of the groundbreaking and now-defunct band At The Drive-In was already hard at work on his next project, Sparta.

Armed with razor-sharp songwriting skills and a more polished, biting sound, Ward, along with former Drive-In members Paul Hinojos on guitar, Tony Hajjar on drums, and newcomer Matt Miller playing bass, released the album on DreamWorks Records less than a year and a half after their formation.

“Cut Your Ribbon,” the album’s opening track, erases any thought from the minds of listeners that this is nothing more than the new At The Drive-In album.

With staccato guitar and growling melodies, Sparta creates a solid rock sound that continues throughout the entire album.

“Cataract,” one of the more experimental tracks on the album, shows the band’s desire to not only make a great album, but also to mix in sounds and techniques not common to this style of music. With lyrics like “Old photos distort you/ And you’re frowning a smile/ As the misery makes you act blind,” Ward mixes echoed, melancholy musings with weeping guitar backdrops to create a sound that brings out emotion without ever sounding whiny or forced.

It would be easy to lump Sparta in with the rest of the emocore crowd, but this album is, simply put, better than that.

Escaping the shadow of an enormously popular and influential project like At The Drive-In is a monumental task, but this album has taken things one step further: Sparta has created a new and unique sound that is on the same plane as its predecessor’s.

– Aaron Ladage Daily Staff Writer

No Good, “GameDay, PBB” (Artist Direct BMG)

Compare to: JT Money, J-Shin, Smilez & Southstar

They call themselves “No Good,” and that’s pretty much all you need to know.

However, I feel obligated to tell you a little more about this duo from Miami whose claim to fame is their stint as hype men for 2 Live Crew’s oh-so-horny Luther Campbell.

On their mainstream debut, “GameDay, PBB (Pimp By Blood),” T-Nasty and Mr. Fatal pay homage to their Florida roots, bringing in producer Tony Galvin, best known for his work with Miami rap superstars Trick Daddy and Trina.

“GameDay, PBB” is a messy conglomeration of all that is wrong with the Dirty South, complete with simplistic odes to baby mamas (“Ain’t Got No Money”) and sipping Hennessy in the club (“Woozie”).

The album’s first single, “Ballin’ Boy,” is best known as the University of Miami’s 2001 football anthem. The high-energy jock-rap track reached #3 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart, and the duo performed it at the 2001 NCAA championship.

One high point of the album is found on the reggae-flavored “Can’t Live Wit Out `Em.” The track features Miami reggae artist Honor Rebel, and reflects Miami’s multicultural heritage with a predictable dance-hall feel.

This album’s a good try, but overall, “GameDay, PBB” shows that No Good isn’t a witty name.

-Megan Hinds Assignment Arts & Entertainment Editor

Clipse, “Lord Willin” (Arista)

Compare to: UGK, Freeway, M.O.P.

Straight off the success of their Neptunes-produced summer smash hit “Grindin’ ” comes Clipse’s new album “Lord Willin.”

Clipse has been one of those “buffer” hip hop groups for a long while. They hit the underground scene hard with the 1998 banger “The Funeral” and recently signed to The Neptunes’ new label, Star Trak.

So with the hottest producers in the industry and a nice underground following, will “Lord Willin’ ” add up to success for these twins from Virginia?

Brothers Push T and Malice dazzled hip hop heads and non-hip hop heads with the witty delivery and wordplay in the first single “Grindin’, ” and the album also displays the ability of the two to mesh into the mainstream.

One problem, and maybe the biggest problem, of this album is the overshadowing of the Neptunes’ production over the MCs. There are times throughout the album where one might be just getting into the beat and not really listening to what Push T and Malice are delivering.

But there are bright spots on the album, including the new club banger “When the Last Time,” the ghetto ballad “Ma, I Don’t Love Her” featuring Faith Evans, and the Curtis Mayfield-inspired “Gangsta Lean.”

Overall, this album is a great disc to pop in your trunk and make everybody wonder: who’s grindin’?

– Darryl Frierson Daily Staff Writer