PATTY SMYTH”Patty Smyth” MCA* * 1/2Smyth would...

PATTY SMYTH

“Patty Smyth”

MCA

* * 1/2

Smyth would sound spunky and sexy singing a phone book--lucky for her, since the material on her second solo album is often only slightly more engrossing than the Yellow Pages.

Gone are the glorious melodies that infused the songwriting of her partners in her mid-’80s band Scandal, which scored such respectable hits as “Goodbye to You” and “The Warrior.” The tough-girl bravado that set Smyth apart from most female hitmakers remains, however, and its spirit saves this album from insignificance.

Commercially, “Patty Smyth” can’t fail to attract attention. From a creatively unexceptional but well-executed ballad duet with Don Henley (“Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough”) to punchier numbers such as “River of Love,” the record brims with the type of empty, Tin Pan Alley rock that garners quick airplay because its facelessness won’t turn off anyone already tuned in to Top 40 radio. A vivacious voice like Smyth’s deserves something more interesting to sing about.