Greg Kihn is turning into the Steve Miller of the Eighties. By tapping into basic rock grooves that twenty years of radio have implanted in every listener's subconscious, he has come up with a collection of somehow familiar-sounding songs that are full of hooks. It isn't that Kihn is restating something so overtly that he could be accused of revivalism; instead, it's more like he's implying the connection, so even if the sultry clavinet groove of "Jeopardy" recalls Sly Stone, or the revved-up shuffle of "Can't Love Them All" suggests the Allman Brothers, it's hard to pin down exactly why.

Kihn has also adopted Miller's "irresistible melody" trick. Drop the stylus anywhere on this album, and faster than you can say "with a bullet," you'll hear something hummable. In addition, Kihn's vocals have taken on an impressive assurance, and his writing supports bright, easy vocal lines with a sturdy undercarriage of instrumental hooks and countermelodies.

Of course, Kihn still faces a few hurdles before he can outdo the master. For one thing, he has yet to develop a knack for lyrics that mean practically nothing, choosing instead to stick with old-style love verse and coherent plots. Furthermore, Kihn still seems to prefer rocking out to airbrushing his arrangements, particularly now that he's got one of Miller's ex-guitarists, Greg Douglass, for a sparring partner. So if this album only stays on the charts through the summer instead of clear into next year, Greg Kihn has only himself to blame. (RS 392)

J.D. CONSIDINE