The next step from Sir Paul

The Fireman

“Electric Arguments”

(MPL/ATO)

* * *

The third outing from Paul McCartney’s duo project with Killing Joke-Orb producer Youth moves this project, which had mostly been instrumental electronic/ambient exercise, ahead by developing full-fledged songs built around McCartney’s magical voice.

In fact, in several of the 13 songs, that voice is employed almost as just another sonic texture, the meaning of words being less critical to the overall effect than the sheer sound of them. It has the feeling of yet another attempt to alter the latter- day public perception of McCartney as the square Beatle.

It’s a worthwhile effort. Being song-based, there’s less substantive distance between this and McCartney’s most recent solo outing, “Memory Almost Full,” although he works from a broader musical palette.

“Electric Arguments” spans the home-studio spontaneity of his first solo album, “McCartney,” in the screaming heavy blues-rocker “Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight” to more elaborately produced tracks such as “Sun Is Shining,” which wouldn’t have sounded out of place on “Band on the Run.”

Then there’s “Is This Love?” a dreamy U2-ish soundscape full of penny whistle, celesta, pinging upper-register bass runs and echoing multi-tracked vocals. That segues into an even loopier workout, “Lovers in a Dream,” which opens with bending cries of bowed acoustic bass.

McCartney’s bottomless well of melody ensures that none of it gets too far afield, even as the songs turn more amorphous.

-- Randy Lewis

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Bridges, friends stick to formula

Ludacris

“Theater of the Mind”

(Disturbing Tha Peace)

* * 1/2

With roles in movies including “Max Payne,” “RocknRolla” and, of course, best picture Oscar winner “Crash,” Chris Bridges, a.k.a. Ludacris, has an enviable film career by any standard but especially among typecast-prone rappers. “Theater of the Mind,” his sixth album, proves that the rapper-actor-restaurateur has mastered Hollywood’s most abiding lesson: Stick to formula. Each song plays like a scene in a movie, a motif that makes for richly visual storytelling but many a familiar situa- tion.

Luda at least tears into the playbook with passion, without losing the laid-back clowning that’s made him appealing to Hollywood. With scores from Scott Storch, Swizz Beatz and other bright minds, glitzy soundscapes abound.

When it comes to Luda’s all-star guest cast, each member appears as persona status quo. T.I. is sleazy and seductive on “Wish You Would,” and Rick Ross hoarsely raps straight out of some dank Miami lair.

Even DJ Premier’s elegant minimalism fails to challenge on “MVP.” In short, everyone plays exactly to character.

-- Margaret Wappler