THERE are times I dread bringing out the nails and wood to crucify an artist, which makes this a truly dark day at the office. There is no nicer man than Brian Kennedy. Though we've never sat down for a formal chat, we have rubbed shoulders at various Irish events over the years.

You couldn't find a more charismatic person than Kennedy, and it felt like running into an old friend when I saw his face in an Irish record shop peering back at me on the cover of Interpretations, his new CD.

Alas, the man with the full frontal charm I observed in social settings and onstage was a far cry from the crooner limping in the studio on Interpretations. Kennedy has decided to apply his angelic voice to mostly smoky, modern soul classics, creating the musical equivalent of a drink of milk at the biker bar.

His read of U2's "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," while flawlessly executed, is completely bloodless.

His diction is crisp, which is miles away from the croaky looseness of the original. With the aid of cloying strings and spacey keyboards, he accomplishes the impossible; he completely strips the classic "Brown Eyed Girl" of its soul.

It didn't have to be this way. Kennedy learned about soul at the feet of one of the best.

Spotted by Van Morrison, he joined Van's renowned Blues and Soul world tour for a period of six years, performing with some of the legends of the music industry, including Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and many others. He also backed Van on several albums -- Days Like This, The Healing Game, Back on Top and others. The experience allowed him to join Van and John Lee Hooker on the live album, One Night in San Francisco.

Things were going so well that Morrison even made a personal appeal to ask Kennedy to record the soundtrack version of "Crazy Love" for the film When a Man Loves a Woman. His pristine delivery was always the perfect foil to Van's rough-hewn growl. Without his sparring partner on these soul tunes, Kennedy sounds completely one-dimensional.

That's not an adjective you want on your back when you attempt to replace the great Tina Turner on "Let's Stay Together." The supple bossa nova cocktail arrangement is certainly interesting enough, but Kennedy regrettably reaches for his inner Westlife instead of his Wilson Pickett for this interpretation.

So, in the words of Austin Powers, where did Brian Kennedy lose his mojo?

Well, all is not lost. Interpretations draws more from his background in musical theater than anything else. You might remember Kennedy's famed stint as lead on the celebrated Riverdance on Broadway show at the Gershwin Theatre back in March 2000.

In that setting, he was able to soar over new tunes especially written for him on the Great White Way by Grammy Award-winning composer Bill Whelan. A soundtrack CD was released by Decca Broadway. recreation

Rare glimpses of that blinding talent can be heard on Interpretations on the jazzy recreation of Cole Porter's "Night and Day," in which he gives rank amateurs like Michael Buble a run for their money. The lush orchestra couches his high voice perfectly.

He does a nice job reinventing John Waite's "Missing You" by ditching the bombastic eighties production in favor of a sultry supper club shuffle.

Kennedy has always tried to be all things to all people. He would often moonlight on his Broadway gig by playing hip rooms like Arlene's Grocery when the lights dimmed.

He tries to have it both ways on Interpretations and falls flat on his cinematic face. His performance on these songs suggests that he should lay off the soul and pick up the Sondheim for his next album.