Playing almost every instrument on almost every track of "Both Sides of the Gun," Ben Harper [ tickets ] pretty much single-handedly drops an epic, two-disc, 18-song crusade of hope, anger and salvation. The effect is either startling or excessive, depending on how much you dig Ben Harper, now up to his seventh album.

As with last year's Bright Eyes releases, these discs are intentionally divided into two styles: softer acoustic music on one and harder, volume-raising rockers on the other. Unlike Bright Eyes' discs, "Both Sides of the Gun" is framed as a single cohesive album. No two elements link these discs more than Harper's remarkable voice, spanning the spectrum from tender to fierce, and the spectacular quality of the album's crisp, tasteful production, also deftly handled by Harper.

Lush, dark strings accompany several of the ballads here, the best of which is "Morning Yearning," a gorgeous triumph about longing and desire. Elsewhere, "Cryin' Won’t Help You Now" is a ready-made Ben Harper classic. Still, disc two is the better half of "Both Sides of the Gun." Between the earnest "Better Way," and the 8-minute closer, "Serve Your Soul," Harper sings about Katrina, Iraq and violence at home. Throughout, Harper sounds like he's working shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Prince, Curtis Mayfield and Lenny Kravitz.

Harper may still occasionally flirt with a cheesy lyric here or a campy riff there, but if "Both Sides of the Gun" proves anything, it is this: Ben Harper has never been more confident. And it shows.