Everlast continues defying the odds with his sophomore CD. The former House of Pain frontman and Ice-T sidekick defied the odds in 1998 with the chart-topping Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which moved Everlast beyond his rap roots and deep into a spare, acoustic amalgam of Delta blues, country, and rock--an approach that took critics and fans by storm. Eat at Whitey's finds him beefing up his sound as well as bringing in big names, such as N'dea Davenport (who adds her always welcome vocals on the sexy, R&B-flavored "Love for Real"), Goodie Mob's Cee-Lo, Cypress Hill's B Real, and Carlos Santana, for whom Everlast penned the Grammy-winning "Put Your Lights On." Everlast is still fixated on redemption and regret, but his intensity and passion make up for the narrow focus, as, guitar in hand, he conjures up a nocturnal, sultry world populated with saints, sinners, and homeboys. --Amy Linden