STAID SHARKEY

“FEARGAL SHARKEY.” Feargal Sharkey. A&M.; Sharkey has moved from the songs about teen abandon and fun that were his bread and butter in the punk-era hotshots the Undertones to de rigueur pop love songs, but the material on Sharkey’s solo debut is ill-served by the Irish singer’s staid vocals. Producer (and Eurythmic) Dave Stewart has gathered some top-notch pop tunes (“A Good Heart” and “You Little Thief”) written by Chrissie Hynde and members of Stewart’s ever-expanding musical fraternity (Maria McKee, Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench). Stewart has also injected his imaginative--if at times overblown--studio wizardry into the mix. But Sharkey’s limited vocal range keeps him from delivering the extra oomph that would make pseudo-anthems like “Ashes and Diamonds” and “Someone to Somebody” truly come alive.