He's got soul, but now what?

Amos Lee

Last Days at the Lodge (Blue Note)

ESSENTIAL "Street Corner Preacher"

Like someone who's been told repeatedly that he's got a soulful voice and decides that that's enough, Amos Lee can't quite figure out what to do with his greatest asset on "Last Days at the Lodge." Considering it's his third album, it's now officially a problem. Lee pits his Adam Levine-meets-Al Green moan against a largely acoustic backdrop, dipping into the blues, Paul Simon-style fingerpicking, and, on "What's Been Going On," the same resigned acoustic guitar as the Rolling Stones' "No Expectations." But the songwriting stumbles. "Jails and Bombs" is filled with received wisdom and empty, awkward platitudes like "Will we ever see the common bond of humanity?" He ditches peace and love long enough to get thrown in lockup for beating his romantic rival to a pulp in "Truth." It's an unconvincing taunt, perhaps because Lee still doesn't know what he has to say. [Marc Hirsh]

Amos Lee plays at the Somerville Theatre Friday. Tickets are $25 at ticketmaster.com.