Daily Staff Writer

“Zygote”

John Popper

“One Part Lullaby”

The Folk Implosion

Sometimes you have to strip away the loud guitars — and in some cases, loud harmonicas — to relish the true inclination of a musician.

“Zygote,” Blues Traveler frontman John Popper’s solo debut, and “One Part Lullaby,” the latest from Sebadoh singer Lou Barlow’s side project, The Folk Implosion, capture two of rock’s most important leaders in their most vulnerable voices.

Popper, for the most part, is without his harmonica, armed only with 12 groove-oriented escapades into his bluesy soul.

His solo material is everything Blues Traveler songs aren’t — complex stories without an infectious hook or moment-stealing solo.

They are a side of Popper we’ve never heard before. He’s not so much the out-there music virtuoso anymore, but the guy you want to share a conversation and omelet with at a morning cafe.

“Once You Wake Up” and “Home” are sublime ballads sung so delicately, you find yourself leaning into the speaker with your eyes closed.

The latter is a homage to everything home, with Popper singing “Welcome home/ Come home/ Leave home … And feel at home ’cause it’s your home.” Not since Jackopierce sang “Please come to Boston” has there been a song so fit for long-distance love.

“Zygote” excels in its softer moments, though a few of the up-beat ditties are fun listens. “Tip The Domino” has the all-too-familiar Shania Twain-like rhythm changes, but it works smack-dab in the center of this collection.

The Blues Traveler in Popper rears its noisy head a few times (for example, in “Evil in My Chair”), but not enough to ruin the intimate vibe Popper borrows from some HORDE members, particularly Robert Bradley.

Barlow’s more experienced in shedding his alt-rock costume — “Lullaby” is Folk Implosion’s third record — and his latest exploration isn’t as deep as he’s been in the past.

But the record still soars, with much of the credit due to Barlow’s songwriting partner, John Davis. While Barlow’s voice is dark and subtle, Davis etches in at just the right times with bold lines such as “Something unexpected couldn’t hurt” (“Merry-Go-Down”).

The Folk Implosion is the ’90s attempt at a Brill Building harmony duo, as the singers share choruses with dynamic results.

“Lullaby” lacks an obvious single — like “Natural One” or “Insinuation” on past Implosion records — but maybe that’s the beauty of this effort.

Before “Mechanical Man,” Barlow mutters, “John always insists that I play drums, and I can’t actually play drums. I can do this, though,” escorting in one of several tangled drum samples on the record.

The Folk Implosion, like Soul Coughing or Cake, can enthrall you with beats just as easily as with lyrics.

“Zygote” and “One Part Lullaby” are the “Behind The Music”soundtracks to two prominent rocker’s lives.

“Zygote” THREE AND 1/2 STARS

“One Part Lullaby” HHH

— Corey Moss

“Nigga Please”

Ol’ Dirty Bastard

He’s not like the rest of us.

He’s been arrested more times than he says the word “fuck” in this album (and that’s a whole lot).

He’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and he’s back with his sophomore release, “Nigga Please,” as in Nigga please … are you seriously putting out an album with vocal tracks sounding like they were recorded by a lunatic you’d meet in a New York City subway?

But what can you expect? ODB is an off-his-rocker man living life on the edge of insanity, civilization and the law. His work with the Wu-Tang Clan and his 1995 solo debut proved that he’s capable of kicking inventive lyrics that are as funny as he’s trying to be throughout “Nigga Please.”

His recent effort gives the impression that RZA, the genius who lays down the beats and music for the Clan’s records, put together some funky tracks, forced ODB to stand in front of the mic and commanded him to rhyme.

Not only do his lyrics lack in content, he’s also inconsistent when it comes to the message. On “Rollin’ Wit You,” he declares himself a black god and warns blacks that whites are trying to “take over.”

Later, on “All in Together,” ODB proclaims himself a “Dalmatian.” “I’m whit,e and I’m black/ You ain’t understand it/ Then fuck you!”

“Nigga Please” isn’t completely a waste of a good blank CD. RZA and his Wu-Tang production crew take a break from strings and piano loops this time around, instead including music reminiscent of ’70s soul — especially on the songs “Recognize” and the disco song “Got Your Money.”

When it comes down to it, Ol’ Dirty Bastard is the crazy cousin your family always worries about but loves to have around to liven things up at birthday and holiday get-togethers.

He’s ODB, and no matter what he does, you’ll always laugh. Unfortunately, that’s what happens on his latest record.

TWO AND 1/2 STARS

—Daniel Fjelland

“Stan and Judy’s Kid”

Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler has always been known for his off-the-wall, unforgettable comedy in movies and records.

But like his most recent movie, “Big Daddy,” his latest album doesn’t quite live up to past work.

On all of his skit albums, Sandler has had one character that comes up repeatedly. On “They’re All Gonna Laugh at You,” it was the buffoon. On “What The Hell Happened to Me,” it was the excited Southerner. On this one, it’s the cool guy.

Cool guy is a ladies man who says all the right things to women until he gets to his own genitalia, which he calls something weird and the women become repulsed.

“Stan and Judy’s Kid” also features some funny songs like “The Chanukah Song Part II” and “7 Foot Man.” But the others are barely comparable.

Like all of Sandler’s past albums, this one is not without its share of swearing and sickness, but it’s not too bothersome. Sandler has always been the type of comedian to take with a grain of salt.

“Stan and Judy’s Kid” will make anyone laugh out loud, but not near as much as it should.

It’s as if Sandler and five of his friends are sitting around laughing at the skits, while you and five of your friends just don’t get it.

TWO STARS

— Kyle Moss

“Showbiz”

Muse

On their major label-debut, British indie rock band Muse serves up 12 songs of full out emotion and dark melodies.

However, with a sound that’s part Radiohead and part Tool mixed with a dark Oasis, they don’t dish out anything incredibly creative — with the exception of a few songs. In fact, almost all of the songs sound vaguely familiar.

Vocalist Matthew Bellamy’s multi-octave voice does little to accent the dark sounds of Muse. His high vocals seem out of place with most of the tunes on the album.

On the upside, some of the songs have incredible songwriting, giving hope to Muse on future releases. Pianos, wurlitzers, melotrons and alien samples do much to add to some of the plain songs on the album.

Check out the piano on “Sunburn,” and never mind the somewhat cheesy lyrics.

The high point, “Cave,” has an incredible rhythm and a great bassline, while Bellamy’s emotional vocals work well with most of the song.

British critics claim Muse will be a huge success in the United States, but it will take a bit more work musically before they can claim that title.

ONE STAR

— Dewayne Hankins

Ratings based on a FIVE STAR scale.

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Chevelle shines

“Point #1”

Chevelle

Squint

Generating a buzz in indie rock circles, Chevelle stormed the Chicago scene, fighting their way into clubs such as the Double Door and Metro.

Now they’ve got a music video breaking through the usually superficial and exclusive MTV rotation.

Chevelle is like Sunny Day Real Estate rubbing elbows with the dynamic temperament of Korn and the grinding guitarwork of Ministry.

The band’s debut, “Point #1,” delivers a refreshing dose of buzzsaw guitars and foreboding riffs. The formula combines a dark, dismal sound with vocals spanning the spectrum from mild verses to screaming choruses.

The album was recorded by Steve Albini, whose work on masterpieces like Nirvana’s “In Utero” and the Pixies’ “Surfer Rosa” made him notorious for creating raw representations of artists’ music.

Albini solely records albums, he does not label himself as a “producer,” and his signature low-fi sound translates onto “Point #1.”

The feedback-saturated “Mia” stands out and shows why the song is getting some MTV action.

“Anticipation” pipes-in with a melodic instrumental break resembling the work of quieter bands, such as Texas is the Reason or Seam, while the slow “Dos” develops that mentality even further.

The songs flow into each other, tightly fitting together to build a seamless wall of sound.

And oh, yeah … the band is Christian. As a Christian band, Chevelle uses subtlety in order to convey their message.

Unlike some other Christian artists, Chevelle rely on the strength of their music and not the lyrical content to attract listeners. In fact, the group’s religious affiliation is barely noticeable until you examine the lyrics and liner notes.

Either way, Chevelle’s debut points to a promising future.

FOUR STARS

— Conor Bezane