Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst continues to earn his reputation as our most respected young troubadour with almost frightening ease. These albums ar a soundly articlated slice of modern life rolled into two very different records, both bursting with all the heartfelt poetry for which Bright Eyes' records have eanred their acclaim. Of course, the rough edges haven't gone away, the palpitation of a splintering note, the crack of a voice as it overextends, the clumsy thump of a misplaced thumb.