** Russell Simins

PUBLIC PLACES

(Grand Royal)

The muscular, grungy title track of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins’s solo debut pretty much sets the tone for Public Places. Yes, it rocks con dently, and the drumming is quite good. But the lyrics (about a girl who likes to get it on in public places, and who likes other girls even though, as Simins puts it, “she likes me better”), the drab guitar riff that dominates the tune, and Simins’s at vocals suggest he’s one drummer who may be more comfortable behind his kit. Of course, he has eclectic friends in cool places, and they’re more than happy to help out. Jamey Staub (better known as Everlast) gets co-writing credit on 10 of the disc’s 13 cuts, including the Everlastish acoustic-guitar-driven folk-hop of the gruff and grave-sounding “Comfortable Places,” which has one of Simins’s best vocal performances. Former Luscious Jacksonite Vivian Trimble, whose background vocals provide a nice counterpoint on “Comfortable Places,” also plays some keyboards. Other guests include Beastie Boy Mike Diamond (drumming on the countryish “Stay” while Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori chimes in on vocals), DJ Pete Rock, whose scratching lends a little hip-hop avor to the spacy funk of “Don’t You Believe,” and Bijou and Chyna Phillips, who sing sweetly on the meandering “No Straight Line.” Simins also tries his hand at everything from thrashy guitar punk to quirky techno knob twiddling, but as likable as much of Public Places is, he never comes fully into his own as a convincing frontman.

— Matt Ashare