I haven't gotten excited for new "Weird Al" Yankovic albums since I was in sixth grade, but when I saw the track list for Straight Outta Lynwood, I felt like I was twelve again.

'Oh, wow, he's gonna do Green Day? Modest Mouse is gonna be in a medley? R. Kelly? Oh, man, I gotta hear this!' And, even more surprisingly, Yankovic delivers in full, crafting an energetic, catchy and funny album on par with his best work.

Now, I know the idea of a good "Weird Al" album is probably a tough sell to the typical reader of a college paper. But, 23 years into his career, Yankovic has kept his fingers on the pulse of pop music remarkably well, making smart songs choices and nailing the parodies.

The lead single, a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin'" called "White & Nerdy," is a great example. It's Yankovic's first top 40 hit in years, and for good reasons. It's a recent, recognizable song and Yankovic goes in all directions with the geek jokes. MySpace, Wikipedia, Minesweeper and Segway references get dropped rapidly.

Yeah, it's a little corny, but part of Yankovic's style has always been deflating overly-serious pop songs like that, and he seems particularly full of glee on this album. Plus, you can't beat a line as ridiculous as "Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap/Pop pop, hope no one seems me... gettin' freaky."

The album succeeds because it varies the pace enough for a consistent listen. There are the old stand-bys of food songs ("Trapped in the Drive-Thru") and culture parodies ("Canadian Idiot.") And the Usher parody "Confessions Part III" is a hilarious extension of the R&B singer's emotional hit. Best line (and most likely to make the girlfriend being addressed angry): "I'm so sorry Debbie... I mean, Bridget!"

There are also some good-natured, but still cutting, social commentaries like the frivolous lawsuit tale of "I'll Sue Ya" and "Don't Download This Song," the latter of which channels overblown charity songs. It rallies against the ills of downloading, building up with a choir, horns and impassioned call and response vocals (begging you to think of the musicians and buy their albums of course.)

Some songs are just silly, like the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson-styled "Pancreas," probably the album's most musically complicated track. I noticed strings, a horn section, backing vocals handclaps and I think even a harpsichord. But there's something to be said for an artist goofy enough to enlist an orchestra to sing a song about his favorite organ.

Most impressive, though, is "Trapped in the Drive-Thru," which parodies R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet." While nothing can top the surreal original, the fact that Yankovic could make his own version a fun listen is perhaps the best testament to his strength as a songwriter. Anyone familiar with the original will get a kick out of Yankovic rhyming "drive-thru" with "drive-thru" -- eight times -- as the first chapter of the song reaches its climax.

There are a few small duds. The Taylor Hicks parody "Do I Creep You Out" falls flat, and the short ditty "Weasel Stomping Day" is kind of a throwaway. But on the whole Yankovic seems inspired, sprinkling even lesser tracks with tons of great one-liners.

Straight Outta Lynwood isn't going to convert anyone who always thought Yankovic was lame, but it might surprise old fans who thought they'd outgrown him. And it's always nice to have a good laugh at the expense of pop music. Grade: B+