RINGSIDE SELF-TITLED BY MAC RANDALL

Ringside’s debut album is bound to set off a few Hollywood dilettante warning bells. Here’s a clothing designer (Scott Thomas, who’s provided threads for Gwen Stefani and Sean Penn) hooking up with an actor (Balthazar Getty, most recently seen on screen in Ladder 49) to form a band who quickly get signed by Limp Bizkit lunkhead Fred Durst’s Flawless imprint. Horrendous enough for you? Well, the good news is that Thomas and Getty have come up with some solid tunes. "Miss You" and "Strangerman" are the standouts, yearning wide-screen numbers reminiscent of later U2, and Thomas’s rough-edged tenor proves capable of handling drama. But who are Ringside? When they’re not aping U2, they’re triggering memories of Train or Matchbox 20 or the Wallflowers, none of whom oozes character. As we all know, originality is no prerequisite for pop success; still, it’s frustrating to hear talented artists tread such well-worn paths. "I just wanna be myself, but it’s a struggle," Thomas sings on the opening "Struggle." That much is clear.