Every couple of months a new musician lands in the spotlight. And every couple of years one of those musicians is annointed as "the next big thing." For the indie-rock set, the mantle is in the process of being passed to Neutral Milk Hotel. Perhaps the key is to produce music that is both beautiful and strikingly original. If so, Jeff Mangum's soaring, lyrical pop tapestries fill the bill admirably. The highlights here are "The King of Carrot Flowers," "Oh Comely," and the energetic title track.

Harold Check