Dan Bern believes that music has the power to change the world, and if Fifty Eggs, his sophomore effort, is any indication, the times they are a-changin'. Produced by Ani DiFranco (who also chips in backing vocals, organ and tenor, baritone and bass guitars) Bern's music embodies the same folk- punk aesthetic as that of the Righteous Babe. Bern (who's also responsible for the colorful doodlings that adorn the album's front and back covers) uses the guitar not only as a melodic agent but a percussive one, making for a compelling backdrop for his stream- of- consciousness rants and musings.

He shows his instrument no mercy, his thoughts moving in a continual flow from his mind to his hand to his strings, snarling his way through the rancor- filled "Tiger Woods" with swagger and braggadocio. More abrasive than most of his guitar- toting contemporaries, Bern lends his darkly- comic commentaries to contemporary race relations, hot- button issues and pop culture's superficialities without treading into politically correct waters. At the same time, he has no qualms about baring his heart to a nameless flame on the slow- dance contender "Everybody's Baby."

As an artist, Bern displays an extraordinary willingness to follow his heart wherever it leads him; if doing so means singing in a nasally drone or completely off- key, as he does during the chorus of "Chick Singers," he does it. If it means sparking up a spliff with Jesus in "One Thing Real," he does it. If it means attributing evolution to a sexual encounter between monkeys and aliens in "No Missing Link," he does it. With this in mind, don't be surprised if these Fifty Eggs spawn a star.

-Susan Moll