The two sides of Conor Oberst

New albums by Desaparecidos and Bright Eyes are two very different experiences masterminded by the same boy wonder, Conor Oberst of Omaha. Oberst has been drawing praise for years now and continues to do so with Desaparecidos' debut album and Bright Eyes' fourth album, Lifted. For the record, as of 2002 he is a veteran at the ripe old age of 22.\nBright Eyes is an emo-type outfit that Oberst fronts like a folk troubadour. On the band's latest album, his words and acoustic guitar are moved to the front. Instead of the usual rock band accompaniment, Lifted... is rounded out with old-world instruments and '60s pop arrangements. \nOberst is aching to hit on overreaching themes, social injustices and anything in general that is bigger than him, and on Lifted... the success of this can be extremely varied. His simple chord structures and ever-quivering vocals make him sound like he is just begging to be taken seriously. Yet, as he reaches the end of each line, he either lets out a curdling punk-rock screech or drops his tone a register à la Johnny Cash. In both cases the results seem contrived. \nThe lyrics from the Bright Eyes record are interesting, but they don't captivate the imagination the way Oberst is able to do with Desaparecidos. Read Music/Speak Spanish is a ruthless assault upon the listener and middle America.\nIf Bright Eyes is Oberst as a compromising nihilist, he is a gun-waving revolutionary with Desaparecidos. The name of the group was taken from a term given to political heretics who were kidnapped by South American governments and dropped out of airplanes over the ocean. With all the connotations the band name recalls, there can be no doubt that Oberst is going to be accusatory. Gone is the air of hesitation in his voice from Bright Eyes, and now he is backed by a loud and straight rock-and-roll group.\nRead Music/Speak Spanish begins with a soundbites of girls discussing their ideal man; one says, "I like a man that has money." The importance of money in American culture is the recurring theme. Along with other soundbites of infomercials and teens discussing corporate culture while smoking pot, which are interspersed with crunching guitars, it can make for a suffocating listening experience, but each song is highlighted by a simple guitar melody which allows for passive attention.