Pain Shows Gain With ‘Same’ Quirkiness : (***) HOUSE OF PAIN, “Same As It Ever Was”; <i> Tommy Boy</i>

Unlike most white rap artists, the Irish-American rap trio House of Pain doesn’t really try to copy black rap. Instead, the group uses it as a jumping-off point for offbeat explorations of funk, rock and jazz.

House of Pain’s second album is a little more imaginative than its debut, boasting more clever lyrics and daring beats--mostly a sort of fuzzy, psychedelic funk, with squeaky, jazzy horn lines wiggling through, the kind of tension-filled grooves that aim to keep you unsettled. As on the debut, Cypress Hill’s Muggs co-produced with HOP’s DJ Real, and “Same as It Ever Was” has a Cypress Hill feel--that same low-key lunacy and reality distortion.

This album really isn’t about anything in particular. It’s like sparkling street-corner chatter, alternately ominous and funny. The three even put their macho swagger on hold long enough for a surprisingly tender ode to friendship called “Still Got a Lotta Love,” with only a melancholy jazz bass line as background. The rapping of Everlast and Danny Boy has a natural, almost ragged quality--textures befitting these quirky tales.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).