Going their own way

As the creative pulse of pop music has flowed during the last half-century from Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry through the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan on to Nirvana and Eminem, the music’s spirit has ranged from rebellious to revolutionary.

So, the term that best fits the tone of the most engaging pop music during the first half of 2004 feels a little strange: reassuring.

But what better way to describe the way a handful of artists have resisted the conformist tendencies of mainstream pop these days by expressing themselves with the same mix of passion, individuality and imagination that once seemed a norm in pop?

With such major artists as U2, Tom Waits and, possibly, Eminem due to deliver albums over the next six months, the race for album of the year is far from over. At the halfway point, however, these five CDs stand out. For downloading, we’ve isolated key tracks for easy sampling.

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Loretta Lynn

“Van Lear Rose” (Interscope)

The back story: The idea of rock auteur Jack White producing an album for the veteran country star didn’t generate much interest among record executives when it was first pitched in the summer of 2002. But that was before White became a phenom with the White Stripes. So Lynn financed the sessions herself. By the time “Van Lear Rose” was released this spring, the Stripes had exploded and the album itself proved so thrilling that executives were kicking themselves for passing on the project. Lynn wrote all the songs and sings lead on them, but it’s almost as much White’s album as hers because he designed the striking, often edgy textures that give every track on the album a sense of character and heart. The album returned Lynn to the country Top 10 for the first time in years and has picked up airplay on stations with both the Americana and alt-rock formats. Many of the 13 songs have the brash, confrontational style of such landmark old Lynn hits as “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).”

Try this track: “Portland Oregon.” White duets with Lynn on this playful tale of barroom temptation that blends country and rock in ways as inspired as the best tracks Maria McKee did with Lone Justice. It could win Lynn a Grammy nomination in either the rock or country vocal category.

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Franz Ferdinand

“Franz Ferdinand” (Epic)

The back story: This album, with its enticing spin on art-rock and new wave strains from the ‘70s and ‘80s, had already caused a stir in England by the time the Scottish group made its L.A. debut at the Troubadour in March. Lead singer Alex Kapranos’ warmth that night added to the charm of the group’s tales of romantic obsession. Even those who found the album a bit slick were won over by the live show. If you’ve ever been tickled by the humor and drama of groups ranging from Roxy Music and Sparks through Talking Heads and the Pet Shop Boys, these guys are for you.

Try this track: “Take Me Out.” In this fun-packed, dance-floor-minded tune, someone is so destroyed by romantic rejection that he asks a final favor of the girl of his dreams: Just go ahead and put me out of my misery.

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Wilco

“A Ghost Is Born” (Nonesuch)

The back story: This rootsy, country-rock-leaning band’s last CD, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” is known as the album the record industry couldn’t kill. After turning the melancholy collection in to Reprise in 2001, the group was dropped before it came out. But Nonesuch -- a sister label in the Time Warner food chain, no less -- picked it up and it was one of the year’s most acclaimed works when it came out in 2002. Jeff Tweedy and mates have returned with another commanding effort. Many of the quirky, electronic production touches of “Hotel” have been left behind, replaced by music generally more optimistic and accessible.

Try this track: “The Late Greats.” This sounds like a signature song for Wilco. A sweet, slow rocking ode to all the great music that never finds commercial acceptance. “The greatest lost track of all time,” Tweedy sings. “You can’t hear it on the radio / You can’t hear it anywhere you go.”

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Kanye West

“The College Dropout” (Roc-A-Fella)

The back story: West isn’t in the same league as Jay-Z or Eminem when it comes to power and speed in rapping technique, which is probably why he first came to attention in hip-hop for his production work with such R&B; and rap stars as Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. Finally, at 26, he steps to the forefront with this commanding album. West is blessed with a strong sense of history, tipping his hat to NWA in one song and playing with pop-culture reference points including early De La Soul elsewhere. Mainly he looks at life’s temptations and consequences in ways that provoke as well as entertain.

Try this track: “Jesus Walks.” West employs soulful hip-hop beats that sound as casual as his rap delivery, but the words reach out dramatically. This reflection on alternative paths in life has the classic feel of such rap landmarks as Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five’s “The Message” and Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day.”

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PJ Harvey

“Uh Huh Her” (Island)

The back story: This singer-songwriter from the rural countryside of southwest England seemed tiny and frail when she opened at the Whisky in 1992, but her blues-rock music hit with Zeppelin force as she explored sexual politics with the fearlessness and candor of such female forerunners as Sinead O’Connor and Patti Smith. Twelve years later, she hits just as hard. The music is more restrained now, but the lyrics continue to reverberate with challenging and sometimes conflicting impulses. Harvey is at her starkest in these mostly bleak tales about the mysteries of romance.

Try this track: “Shame.” Sung with the “what is left?” hopelessness of a woman looking down to the inviting sea from the edge of a high cliff, Harvey speaks of being so disoriented by another romantic setback that she doesn’t even have the strength to place blame.

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Robert Hilburn, The Times’ pop music critic, can be reached at robert.hilburn@latimes.com