Nick without Jessica, singing lonesome songs

Charm can take you interesting places and, judging from his show Wendesday night at the Nokia Theater, Nick Lacheyis enjoying the ride.

Lachey, the former lead singer of the teenybopper vocal group 98 Degrees, and more notably the ex-Mr. Jessica Simpson, is on tour to support 'What's Left of Me.' (Jive). But music is only part of the package and at times an incidental part. In addition to his easygoing charisma, there's a body, particularly shoulders and biceps that may rival Usher's, and the fact that even on the rebound, he's still a hopeless romantic (or at lest he's playing one in this phase of his career).

He isn't a commanding or even a prepossessing singer, but that doesn't matter when the sight of your silhouette against a curtain can make a packed house shriek lustily in unison. Lachey seems smart enough to know he can't get by forever on hearttrhrob worship, but savvy enough to enjoy it while it lasts.

'What's Left of Me' is Lachey's breakup record and there are at least a dozen thinly veiled references to Simpson, but that's only half the significance.

The recording illustrates the part of the role reversal that has taken place in pop music. While the woman's breakup song has become a declaration of strength, self-reliance and determination to move along, the man's song has become an exercise in wound-licking and a scrounging-up the courage to love again. That both songs are being sung to women is something sociologists should have a good time analyzing.

At the Nokia, Lachey was backed by a solid five-piece band, and the mix was so high that Lachey's voice was frequently overwhlemed. Although his words weren't well communicated, his intentions were. His eyes easily slipped into wounded puppy mode as he worked his way through the new disc's highlight: 'Outside Looking In,' 'Beautiful,' and 'Everywhere But Here.'

About an hour into his 90-minute set, the concert took a curious and amibitious turn and tried to be about music. Lachey covered Stevie Wonder's 'Higher Ground,' with the song rearranged to highlight slide guitar and a twangy vocal that was just within Lachey's range.