It's tough not to make a parlor game out of Nick Lachey's What's Left of Me. Five points if you knew that Mr. Jessica Simpson was more than just beefcake, but a pop star in his own right. Ten if you recalled that he was once a member of 98 Degrees, not Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync. Twenty if you can get through these 12 tracks without wincing. It's not that the singing's no good--Lachey's grip on boy-band whispers and wails is still sturdy enough to send most 12-year-olds swooning, and he works in a fine falsetto on final number "Resolution"--it's the song titles that sting. "I Can't Hate You Anymore," "On Your Own," "Outside Looking In," and pretty much every other track references, with soap-operatic dippiness, the singer's breakup with his Daisy Dukes-wearing-ex. Instead of making a stand for himself as an under-appreciated artist who's capable of cranking out thoughtful, far-reaching work, he makes it harder than ever to take him seriously. And that's despite the fact that he racks up eight co-writer credits here. Add in an obvious bid to sound current against a contemporary pop landscape in the midst of a boy-band backlash, and the case can be made that Lachey's once 98-degree heat index has dipped way down. Attempts at emo ("Run to Me," "You're Not Alone") don't work, and a few unmistakable stabs at Ashlee- and Jessica-styled vocal hiccups throughout seem contrived, if not downright weird. Still, tabloid junkies should find a lot to love in all the dirty-laundry airing, and anybody who can't resist a photo spread of broken man baring his anguish (as well as a good portion of his chest) will want to pick it up for the pinup possibilities. --Tammy La Gorce
